Business volume of Basque Technology Parks for 2014 confirms recovery

• The figures listed are significantly higher than those for 2013.

• The large corporations located in the three Basque parks are at the head of the improved growth.

• In 2014, 32 new companies set up business in the Alava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa Technology Parks

• Business at the Technology Parks in 2014 produced 5% of the GDP, 4.70% of employment and 5.3% of revenue.

Following the study of the survey annually conducted from the Alava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa Technology Parks on the companies established there, 402 in 2014, a significant improvement has been observed in the different areas of the analysis.

Broadly speaking, the figures provided are higher than in previous years. Of particular note is the increased expenditure on R&D&I (15%), a sign of confidence and trust in the future, for which the investments made amount to 475 million Euros.

The global turnover of the companies was also noticeably higher than in the previous year amounting to 3,868 million Euros, equivalent to an increase of 8.6% with respect to 2013.

Another area to experience a sharp rise in 2014 is that of employment. During the worst years of the recession, the Technology Park environment stood firm in terms of employment, in the sense that jobs were not lost in a negative work environment. Last year the number of employees amounted to 14,926, an increase of 5.5% over 2013, and 4,496 of these were exclusively engaged in R&D&I.

Leadership of “the big”

In spite of the aggregated nature of the figures, it should be noted that the improvement was mainly led by the large corporations. This serves to confirm their nature as “driving forces” in the emergence from the present situation.

The figures from these companies show business results and employment recovery far higher than the others, leading to expectations of an extension to their business environment.

Business Incubation

The entrepreneurship and creation of businesses area was also successful throughout the past year, with 32 newly created companies located among the three parks. Many of these companies have been “incubated” by the instruments created for this purpose in the technological environments themselves.

The confidence brought about by this new economic setting has helped pre-existing business ideas to become reality.

Significant influence on the Basque GDP

The business carried out in the three Parks, important in itself in terms of diversification, the generation of a critical research force, support for innovation and other already-known effects that have been achieved, has a major impact on the Basque economy, leading to significant figures at macroeconomic level. In this way, the businesses located in the Parks have obtained a turnover equivalent to 5% of the GDP of the Basque Country.

Sectorisation

With regard to sectorisation according to the turnover of the companies throughout 2014, the Information Technologies (ICT) Sector leads the way, followed by the Electronics, R&D&I, Aeronautical sectors and the emerging sector of Biosciences.

The 14,926 employees working at the different companies making up the three Parks represent 4.70 % of the employment in Euskadi. In addition, there are a further 3,500 workers employed to provide “exterior services” of support.

Similarly, the economic activity carried out has led to major income for the different public administrations following mandatory tax revenue, Income tax, Company Tax, the Real Estate Tax and the Tax on Commercial and Professional Activities, with a direct impact on the districts in which the three Parks are located, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Derio, Zamudio, Donostia, Eibar, Hernani and Leioa.

Assessment

From the technology entities, the President of the Basque Network of Technology Parks, José Miguel Corres, has made a “positive assessment of the financial year, on the verge of what is to come”. Corres stated that “there are clear signs of recovery, the figures from the survey are all positive but this must be extended to the whole group. It would appear that the indicators of today’s climate are improving, and with them expectations, perception and confidence”.

In our dynamic industrial structure, continued Corres, this leads to “signs of interest”, the establishment and expansion of businesses, etc.

Lastly, the signs for the first quarter of 2015 confirm this trend, the establishment of new businesses continues to take place, and plans for expansion of already established companies remain on the rise.