The Principality, through Sekuens and Asturex, held on June 13 and 14 this forum for debate and exchange of information between administrations and companies with the participation of 78 representatives from all the autonomous communities. On this occasion, the main theme of the meeting focused on the defense sector and its value chain.
The Government of the Principality of Asturias, through the Asturian Agency for Science, Business Competitiveness and Innovation (Sekuens) and the General Society for Foreign Promotion (Asturex) hosted last June 13 and 14 the Interterritorial Council for Internationalization (CII), an essential forum for collaboration in which are represented the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise; ICEX Spain Export and Investment, the administrations of the autonomous communities and cities and representatives of the private sector.
The executive director of the Sekuens Agency, David González, and the CEO of ICEX Spain Export and Investment, Elisa Carbonell, were in charge of opening the plenary session of the CII that took place on Friday morning in the auditorium of the University of Oviedo.
Mr. González highlighted “the work being carried out by the Council to bring together in the same forum the different economic agents working in foreign affairs and investment attraction”.
For her part, Elisa Carbonell, highlighted the need for “continuous reflection on how to continue working for internationalization” in the current context, marked by “the growth of trade flows associated with the dual sustainable and digital transition, and greater geopolitical uncertainty and its effects on our companies”. In this regard, he explained how ICEX is already addressing these challenges under the concept of “a high-impact ICEX”.
This was followed by the conference on “Current geopolitics in a world in full reconfiguration” by Federico Aznar Fernández-Montesinos, frigate captain of the Navy, senior analyst at the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies (IEEE) and professor at the Higher Center for National Defense Studies (CESEDEN).
On this occasion, the main theme of the plenary session focused on the defense sector and its value chain, with special attention to the strategic importance and the opportunities it offers for Asturias at international level.
The asturian councillor of Science, Business, Training and Employment, Borja Sánchez, highlighted during the opening ceremony the importance of having meetings such as the Interterritorial Council, where good practices can be shared. Sánchez alluded to the good figures of the export sector of Asturias, which has broken records during 2023, and to the “opportunities that will come from the defense sector and also from the electronics industry”.
This was followed by the internal meetings of the External Promotion Committee (FPC) and the Investment Attraction Committee (IAC). The agenda of the FPC meeting included a review of the status of the committee and two presentations focused on the defence sector. In addition, different sessions were held to assess different strategies and initiatives to convert occasional exporters into regular exporters.
On the other hand, within the framework of the CII, the Investment Attraction Committee (CAI) also took place, where an annual investment report for the 2023 financial year was presented. In this regard, it is important to note that the CAI is a key platform for sharing experiences and new developments in the different organisations, as well as the exchange of knowledge and good practices between the investment agencies of the Autonomous Communities.
About the Interterritorial Council for Internationalisation
The Interterritorial Council for Internationalisation (CII) provides a unique framework for dialogue and collaboration between the Autonomous Communities and the private sector, represented by the CEOE and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. These regular meetings are essential to identify areas of collaboration, share best practices and strengthen the competitiveness of Spanish companies abroad, as well as their ability to attract quality foreign investment.
The work of Asturex and the Sekuens Agency in direct international promotion and in the attraction and loyalty of foreign investment is reflected in its participation in the CII and, in particular, in the presidency of the Principality of Asturias in the first half of 2024. This action, framed within the objectives of the Regional Ministry of Science, Enterprise, Training and Employment, highlights the importance of these initiatives for the Asturian economy in the international context.
