SODERCAN (Sociedad para el Desarrollo de Cantabria), part of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Innovation, Transport and Commerce, has launched the ASFITEC program, designed to encourage innovation by providing technical support to help Cantabrian SMEs participate in national and European R&D support programs, and thus enhancing their contribution to R&D investment in the region.

The Minister of Industry and president of SODERCAN, Eduardo Arasti, explained that the objective of this new service is to provide technical support to Cantabrian companies, enabling them to participate independently in national and European R&D assistance programs in the short-medium term.

Companies adhering to this program will receive technical support from SODERCAN and the international consultancy firm Zabala Innovation -adjudicated by public tender- to increase their participation in these R&D assistance programs and instruments. The goal is that their greater participation in the medium and long term will serve as an engine for greater investment in R&D in Cantabria.  

“We want to help companies take advantage of the opportunities these national and European programs offer in order to achieve a significant increase in the percentage of funding obtained for Cantabria” the minister explained.  

For this, the minister invited all technology companies, start-ups, researchers and entrepreneurs to participate in the ASFITEC program “to be part of the change and contribute to the technological future of Cantabria”.

Equally, he encouraged institutions and organisations to collaborate with their expertise and resources in making the program a success.

Arasti noted that the most recent data from the INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) corresponding to 2022, showed that R&D investment in Cantabria represented 0.90% of regional GDP compared to the national average of 1.44%.  

These figures position Cantabria eleventh in the ranking of Autonomous Communities in Spain, with a greater differential in recent years and representing a competitive disadvantage for the region.

OBJECTIVES

The public company aims to boost the capacity of Cantabrian companies to finance R&D initiatives through participation in calls for international projects such as the  EUREKA/-EKA program and in collaborative national projects, encouraging them to participate a partners or even leaders of these projects.

The program consists of several phases, beginning with the identification of potential R&D projects, followed by a selection and maturation process until the final execution of the selected projects.

Different types of projects will be categorised, with priority given to those considered most technically and economically viable, with the greatest potential for innovation, that have not received assistance through similar programs in the past and which promise the greatest positive impact on the region.

Technical assistance offered by the program encompasses the tasks necessary for selected companies to identify their potential and to evaluate the best fit of their project with specific calls.

For more information, contact the Innovation Area of SODERCAN by telephone (942 290003) or email (innovacion@gruposodercan.es).