This year, SPRI will manage its budget of €129million, as well as other resources from the Basque Government's Department of Economic Promotion, Sustainability and Environment, on which it depends, such as the allocations of the main industrial R&D programmes -Hazitek and Elkartek-, through which it will try to support more than 1,100 projects this year. In any case, according to the business strategy, based on the budget approved for this year, most of it will be allocated to four key areas: business promotion; technology, innovation and sustainability; digital transformation and internationalisation.
Support for companies
In the first area, the aim will be to achieve 700 start-up applicants and 70 collaborating companies in the BIND 4.0 start-up! Basque Industry 4.0 Accelerator Program; to achieve 10 grants through Aurrera guarantees and the same number through Basquefondo, and to ensure that the Gauzatu Industria programme supports 50 companies, reaches an induced investment of 75 million and generates 500 jobs. Likewise, 50 projects are expected to be approved in the Industry 4.0 programme.
As far as industrial development is concerned, SPRI will try to approve 20 projects within the framework of the Lortu programme, which provides advice and support in financing processes. In addition, the company will support 16 clusters -which will be granted a subsidy of 3.57 million- in half a thousand actions.
And, as for Invest in The Basque Country, the aim is to manage 80 foreign direct investment projects, implement 16 initiatives, achieve an investment volume of 50 million euros and generate, or maintain, 500 jobs.
Within the area of digital transformation, it is worth highlighting the objective of achieving 70 companies supported by the Applied Artificial Intelligence programme (within the BAIC) and promoting Metaposta, the digital document delivery and custody mailbox, with 200,000 new users. It is also intended that the Basque CyberSecurity Centre (BCSC) will implement or support a dozen R&D&I and digital protection reinforcement projects.
Finally, in the area of internationalisation, grants for project start-up actions stand out. Such as Zabaldu, a basic support programme for SMEs with export potential (for 200 companies); Sakondu, an advanced support programme for regular exporting SMEs (90), and Gauzatu IE, to support foreign commercial, production and service establishments (eight companies). Likewise, 100 people will be supported through the Beint internationalisation specialisation scholarship programme, and 400 people through the Global Training mobility scholarships.
If you want more information about SPRI Group’s projects, click here
