On March 22nd, the Council of Ministers approved the Strategic Project for Aerospace Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE), a public-private collaboration instrument to boost science and innovation in the aerospace field with the aim of responding to the challenges of the sector, such as climate change, global security and digital transition.
Thanks to this strategic project, public administrations, companies and R&D&I centers will work in coordination to strengthen the capabilities of the aeronautical and space industry, promoting the development and implementation of innovative technologies, including technologies that support the development of the zero-emission aircraft. The Aerospace PERTE also aims to strengthen Spain’s position in the space sector with initiatives such as the creation of the Spanish Space Agency, which will establish new mechanisms to coordinate space activities at the national level and Spanish participation in international programs.
The Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, emphasized in the press conference held after the Council of Ministers that, thanks to this research and innovation PERTE, “Spain will position itself in the international race to conquer Space and will advance in the necessary transformations to become a more competitive, equitable, cohesive, prosperous and resilient country in the face of future threats”.
Morant also stressed that this is a PERTE with a marked international character. Specifically, it proposes Spanish collaboration with Portugal with initiatives such as the development of the Atlantic Constellation, an Earth observation satellite program with which Spain and Portugal will monitor phenomena such as climate change. Through this collaboration with Portugal, this will be the first PERTE to include funding for another country’s recovery plan. On the other hand, the PERTE also integrates the Spanish quota in the European Space Agency since, in addition to the services provided by this agency to our country, the returns on national territory associated with this contribution are a fundamental source of income for the Spanish space industry.
In Spain, aerospace is a strategic sector that accounts for almost 1.2% of the national GDP and 5.4% of the industrial GDP. The Aerospace PERTE expects to mobilize around 4,533 million euros between 2021 and 2025, with a public sector contribution of around 2,193 million euros and private investment of around 2,340 million.
In this way, the Aerospace PERTE will make a decisive contribution to overcoming in the coming years the main challenges facing the aerospace industry, on the one hand, in terms of the consequences of the economic crisis with global and particular effects on the sector and, on the other hand, in relation to the processes of economic, social, environmental and international policy transformation that largely determine the future of the sector.
“Advances in the aerospace field will have a direct benefit on the quality of life of people, thanks to its applications in areas such as transport, logistics, security, environment, agriculture, communications and defense,” said the minister during her speech.
Objectives of the Aerospace PERTE
The specific objectives of PERTE are articulated around three pillars: aeronautics, space and transversal. On the one hand, the objectives of the aeronautical pillar are to train the industry in technologies and zero-emission systems for aeronautics; to develop demonstrators in the field of multipurpose aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV); and to advance in the development of aeronautical infrastructures to meet the requirements of the Single European Sky regulation.
On the other hand, the specific objectives of the space pillar are to improve the capabilities of the space sector in the design of payloads related to environmental control, quantum communications and security in international cooperation; and to position the space sector on the European map of the commercial use of space.
Finally, the transversal pillar, which affects the two subsectors, sets specific objectives to promote innovation, sustainability and digitalization actions in manufacturing centers; to promote training and education oriented to the aerospace sector; to unite and connect the innovation ecosystem in the aerospace field; and to enable public-private funds to strengthen companies in the sector.
“With the collaboration of the autonomous communities in R&D&I projects and our business innovation funding agency, CDTI, we will help companies in the sector to create and adopt new innovative technologies; and we will also provide professionals with specialized education and training,” said Minister Diana Morant. This PERTE contemplates the participation not only of the large multinational companies that dominate the sector, but also of emerging companies specialized in aerospace technologies, which are experiencing a very promising evolution in recent years in Spain.
Aerospace PERTE governance
For the coordination of the Aerospace PERTE, an inter-ministerial working group is established, chaired by the Minister of Science and Innovation, which will have representation from the Ministries of Finance and Public Function; Education and Vocational Training; Labor and Social Economy; Defense; Economic Affairs and for the Digital Transformation; Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda; Ecological Transition and for the Demographic Challenge; Industry, Trade and Tourism; Agriculture, Fisheries and Food; and Universities.
In addition, in order to count on all relevant actors and guarantee a permanent dialogue, integrating public-private collaboration, an Alliance for the Aerospace PERTE is created, which will be chaired by the Minister of Science and Innovation. This alliance will integrate the members of the interministerial body, the autonomous communities, public research organizations, as well as business associations, trade union organizations with relevance in the sector, technology platforms and user communities. Likewise, the PERTE governance model could include international agents with competences in the aerospace field.
The figure of PERTE is created within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which outlines the roadmap for the modernization of the Spanish economy, the recovery of economic growth and job creation.
