Creation of CIVIL UAVs INITIATIVE by the Regional Government through the Galicia Innovation Agency
About this good practice
In the Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategy process, Galicia Innovation Agency (GAIN) and industrial stakeholders identified the need of transformation of some regional industrial value chains, in line with sustainable and innovative development and linking it to future-oriented manufacturing potential sectors, such as aerospace.
CUI, managed by GAIN, is a pioneering strategic initiative in Europe led by the Government of Galicia to attract private investments in the aerospace sector, to develop innovative solutions in the UAVs industry, to improve public services and deliver modern and efficient services, to generate an aerospace ecosystem and consolidate an industrial fabric around the Galician Aerospace Centre.
GAIN started the initiative establishing contracts with big corporations to provide better public services with drones such as (for example):
- Organs and blood quick transport.
- Missing persons search.
- Firefighting.
- Fisheries surveillance.
Private investments were attracted from big corporations who invested in infrastructures in our region and collaborated with local SMEs, RTOs and the Galician Public Education System, achieving the latter ones, the necessary culture and know how to collaborate in innovative solutions in the unmanned vehicles and systems industry.
Private big corporations, RTOs, SMEs and Galician Public Education System are the beneficiaries of the practice.
Expert opinion
Resources needed
2015-2020: Galicia invested 85,8 million € in the CUI, getting private funds till 164,7 million € of investment.
2021-2025: 84 million euros already committed, aiming to get private funds till 540 million euros.
The objective is creating an ecosystem able to evolve independently in a long term.
Evidence of success
More than 50 stakeholders participated in the Initiative, with more than 35 R&D&I projects and around 400 highly qualified persons involved.
164.7M€ from private investments in the period 2015-2020.
Additional results include:
- Newly created Galician Aeronautical Consortium and Aeronautics and Space Engineering School;
- 15 new SMEs and 20 already existing SMEs / RTOs, with new aerospace business areas.
- Cross-border initiative in the aerospace sector in Galicia–Northern Portugal (Aeroganp).
Potential for learning or transfer
This GP is potentially interesting for other regions for both aerospace and other sectors where technology transfer can be achieved.
Key success factors are:
- Collaboration with experienced multinational aerospace companies to generate and consolidate an industrial fabric around the Galician Aerospace Centre;
- Boosting innovative entrepreneurship supporting already existing companies interested in the aerospace or promoting the creation of new companies;
- Providing the necessary infrastructure to permit the ecosystem evolution;
- Promoting training programs in the medium and long term, to generate, attract and retain talent.
Key lessons learnt, to be considered for transfer are:
- big corporations have high negotiation power;
- organizational difficulties related to the complex system of competencies in Spain (with 3 levels of governance: central, regional and local level);
- organizational difficulties caused by public authorities that do not consider “all of us on the same boat”.
