Technological Centre

Galician Regional Goberment supports CETIM’s project to promote the Circular Economy Centre of Excellence

Regional Minister of Economy, Francisco Conde, stressed that the Technological Centre provides great support to the Galician business community.

He received CETIM Technological Centre CEO, Toni Pons, to learn about the progress of this innovative project candidate for Next Generation funds.

Culleredo, July 22, 2021.- Toni Pons, general director of CETIM Technological Centre met yesterday with Xunta de Galicia economic vice president and councilor for Economy, Business and Innovation, Francisco Conde, and the director of GAIN (Galician Innovation Agency), Patricia Argerey, to convey the institution’s projects within the framework of the economy circular and specifically, the intense work they are doing in recent months to promote the Center of Excellence for Circular Economy in La Cros, in Culleredo, very close to its current headquarters. Culleredo’s mayor, José Ramón Rioboo, was also present at the meeting.

Toni Pons (izq.), director general de CETIM Centro Tecnológico, durante la reunión con el vicepresidente segundo y conselleiro de Economía, Empresa e Innovación, Francisco Conde, y la directora de la GAIN, Patricia Argerey.
Toni Pons (left), CEO of CETIM Technological Centre, during the meeting with the second vice president and councilor of Economy, Business and Innovation, Francisco Conde, and the director of GAIN, Patricia Argerey.

Circular Economy Centre of Excellence project, promoted by CETIM, with an estimated investment of 29 million euros, was presented to the Expression of Interest of Circular Economy Promotion submitted to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge. The aim is to create a large reference complex in research and development of circular technologies that offers services to administrations and companies and supports R&D in strategic sectors such as food, forestry, textiles, ICT, automotive sector, water treatment or by-products or waste with an international vision. In addition, it would house a business incubator, training spaces for new graduates, coworking, a building for public services and would even contribute to the revitalization of the Mariñas Coruñesas e Terras do Mandeo Biosphere Reserve. It would also promote entrepreneurship and help identify opportunities for the development of innovative projects in the field of circular economy.

Xunta de Galicia, through the Regional Ministry of Economy, offered its collaboration in this initiative that CETIM also presented to the Next Generation European funds. Francisco Conde recognized that, with this proposal, CETIM would contribute to social and economic development through the transfer of knowledge to the business fabric, and that it would allow the attraction of companies and scientific-technological talent with the incorporation of more than 70 high-level qualification professionals.

Conde also highlighted the great support that the Technological Centre is already providing to the Galician business fabric, especially to SMEs, in those strategic areas in which it has accumulated great experience and knowledge such as advanced materials, biotechnology or digitization through Industry 4.0. Currently at CETIM 57 research projects are being executed, with more than 265 clients and collaborators, mobilizing € 240M of investment.

Support to the Xunta de Galicia in Next Generation
During the meeting, Francisco Conde also ratified the collaboration and support of CETIM to the Galician Government in the Galician candidacy to apply for the Next Generation funds within the Pole for the Transformation of Galicia that it promotes.

Within the framework of the Next Generation European funds, the Technological Centre, in addition to offering support to the Xunta and its tractor projects, participates in others in 24 expressions of interest, which all mobilize more than 10,000 million euros, in collaboration with more than 200 companies and research centres.