Like Andalucia in the far south, the Basque region in the north of Spain also has a relatively young, but rapidly growing aerospace industry. Although the area around Bilbao has a long industrial heritage, it is only in recent years that major players in aerospace have come to the fore. Engineering group Sener, which has a large facility in Bilbao, began its involvement in the space sector as a subcontractor on early European programmes in the 1960s and 1970s.
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Around these three major manufacturers, there are about 30 small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the region employing about 1,200 people, says Jose Juez, managing director of Basque aerospace association HEGAN. In total, about 3,500 people work in aerospace.
HEGAN was set up nine years ago to promote companies in the Basque region and help SMEs improve training and capabilities and move up the value chain. “This is our most important role,” says Juez. “We help them with certification issues and organise participation at air shows. We can also look at synergies between our members to help them to jointly bid for contracts.”
Another of HEGAN’s tasks is to be the link with the regional government. “We have a very close relationship, we report our findings to them and help them develop the sector,” he says. One of the strengths of the Basque region has been companies’ willingness to invest in research and development and be flexible to customers’ needs, says Juez.
“Our sector is very young, so they are prepared for new ways of working and reactive to new trends. Companies are very open to participation in international projects. Investment in R&D has averaged 20% in the past 10 years,” he says.
Source: Flight International
