Castilla-La Mancha, a premium investment destination in Spain

Toledo, 21 de abril de 2021-. The Government of Castilla-La Mancha, through the Regional Minister of Economy, Business and Employment, Patricia Franco, has highlighted the competitive advantages offered by the region in the framework of the telematic event ‘Castilla-La Mancha Premium Investment Destination’, organised by the Foreign Promotion Institute of the Regional Ministry and which has counted with the collaboration of ICEX-Invest in Spain as well as the network of Economic and Commercial Offices of Spain in Latin American countries.

During the conference, led by Luis Noé, director of IPEX, the Minister highlighted the social and economic stability of the region, “which has meant that Castilla-La Mancha has been, since the end of 2015, among the three autonomous communities with the highest business confidence index in the country”. In addition, Patricia Franco highlighted the policies of support and encouragement for business investment of the Government of Emiliano García-Page, together with the ability to raise funds to support projects from other administrations, and the new expansive stage offered by the framework of the “Next Generation” funds.

Other competitive advantages offered by Castilla-La Mancha to business investment projects, which have been highlighted by the Regional Minister, are: the geographical position of the region, the wide network of communications with the main ports and consumption hubs of the country and the capacity for a wide development of industrial land at a very competitive cost, as well as the availability of highly qualified workforce.

During the conference, the Minister also mentioned that the region maintains a stable framework of commercial relations with the markets of the participating countries, Mexico being the third country to invest in the region in the last five years, and pointed out sectors such as industry and agri-food as successful examples of foreign investment in Castilla-La Mancha, with which productive synergies can be established.

Attendees were also able to hear from the executive director of ICEX-Invest in Spain, Elisa García, the advantages of investing in our country, indicating that “Spain has many competitive advantages for Latin American investment: business climate and common culture, significant presence of Spanish companies in the region, internationalised law firms and the specific LATIBEX market”. He also stressed that “Spain offers Latin American companies an important domestic market and a platform for the challenge of accessing third countries in the EU, North Africa and the Middle East”.

For his part, the General Director for Business, Javier Rosell, in addition to detailing the aid for the promotion of business investment deployed by the Government of Castilla-La Mancha, also stressed its commitment to the implementation of new instruments to promote the attraction of international investment despite the circumstances arising from the health crisis, with the implementation, among other initiatives, of the Priority Projects Act, which offers a favourable framework for the administrative processing of investment projects in strategic sectors for the region, and comprehensive advice and support for their development through the business support units.

Finally, José Díaz and David Mejía, head of purchasing at Productos Goya and technical director of Oxybárica, respectively, presented their two business experiences, in sectors as different as agri-food and industry, as success stories of international investment in Castilla-La Mancha.

IPEX would like to thank all the speakers and attendees for their participation in the event.