Expert in circular economy to lead Impulsa Galicia, a public-private entity established to help develop strategic projects in Galicia
Two others will also work alongside Enyd López on the organisation’s board of directors: Amparo Alonso, an expert in artificial intelligence, and Rosa María Sánchez-Yebra, the vice-governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank.
Santiago de Compostela
July 12, 2021
Enyd López Fernández, a chemical engineer who holds a degree in chemistry from the University of Santiago and who is also an expert in circular economy, is the new head of Impulsa Galicia, the Galician Association for the Development of Strategic Projects. The organisation is a joint venture that was established in April by the Xunta, Abanca, Reganosa, and Sogama with the goal of modernising Galicia’s economy by applying the fair, green, and digital transition model. Its main objective is to help develop strategic initiatives for Galicia. Amparo Alonso Betanzos, an expert in artificial intelligence, and Rosa María Sánchez-Yebra, who specialises in fiscal policy, will also join the organisation’s board of directors.
Enyd López was chosen by the board to be managing director of the organisation. Until recently, López was the head of Galicia Saica Natur, a part of Grupo Saica that focuses on the circular economy and waste management. She has also led several teams, divisions, and delegations for Grupo Saica throughout Spain.
Two more women have also been appointed to the board. Amparo Alonso is a professor of Computer Science at the University of A Coruña, as well as the president of the Spanish Association of Artificial Intelligence and a member of the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council.
Rosa María Sánchez-Yebra is the vice governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank. She has also sat on the boards of the Banco de España and the National Securities Market Commission and was the secretary-general of the Spanish Treasury and Department of Fiscal Policy.
Impulsa Galicia is established with the goal of assisting with the development of strategic plans in Galicia
Francisco Conde, the Xunta’s Deputy Vice President and Minister for the Economy, Business, and Innovation, was joined by the Treasurer and Minister for Public Administration, Valerio Martínez, and the Minister for Rural Affairs, José González, at the organisation’s inaugural meeting today
The board has nine members, including its president Francisco Conde and vice president Francisco Botas, who is also the managing director of Abanca
With a social capital of 5 million euros provided by the Xunta, Abanca, Reganosa, and Sogama, Impulsa Galicia is now open to forming new partnerships
Santiago de Compostela
May 3, 2021
Francisco Conde, the Vice President for Economic Affairs and the Minister for the Economy, Business, and Innovation, was joined by Valeriano Martínez, the Minister for the Treasury and Public Administration, and José González, the Minister for Rural Affairs, at the inaugural meeting of Impulsa Galicia, the Galician Association for the Development of Strategic Projects. The organisation will assist in the development of initiatives included in the nominations for the Pole for the Transformation of Galicia.
It is anticipated that this pole will mobilise more than 3 billion euros in the first three years. It includes eight initiatives that could potentially lead to Galicia producing green hydrogen, a factory that converts cellulose into textile fibres, a waste treatment centre for the production of biogas, the expansion of renewable energy, and a boost to industrial digitalisation.
Impulsa Galicia will therefore focus on ideas that have the potential to transform their sector and that have an impact on production, employment, and the region itself, while also having a “tractor” effect on the production network with the ultimate goal of boosting the digital and ecological transformation of the autonomous community.
One of the organisation’s priorities will be to improve the capillarity and the multiplier effect of this funding, with SMEs at the centre of this strategy. It will assist in the search for investors for the development of projects and provide consulting services to improve the professionalism and consolidation of new businesses, including legal, financial, administrative, commercial, industrial, and management support. The organisation will act as a driving force and evaluate projects in accordance with their impact on value chains in production sectors.
Impulsa will improve Galicia’s chances when it comes to securing the Next GenerationEU funding. The autonomous community currently has 354 initiatives with the potential to mobilise 20 billion euros in investment. The ideas are based on three key principles: including SMEs; making R+D a transversal concept; and fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Impulsa has 5 million euros of founding capital behind it, with 40% provided by the Xunta de Galicia, 38% provided by Abanca, 12% provided by Reganosa, and 10% by Sogama, and is open to forming new partnerships. The board has nine members: the office of president will be held by Francisco Conde. Francisco Botas, the managing director of Abanca, will serve as vice president. The other board members are Galician government ministers Valeriano Martínez and José González; the CEO of Reganosa, Emilio Bruquetas; board secretary and director of corporate governance and legal affairs at Abanca José Eduardo Álvarez-Naveiro; former president of the Xunta and Professor of Applied Economics at the University, Fernando González-Laxe; and Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Vigo, Santiago Lago Peñas. Eduardo Cortizo, the Head of Legal Advice at Abanca, will serve as board secretary.
The Xunta, Abanca, Reganosa, and Sogama form a new public-private organisation that will support “tractor effect” projects in Galicia
The Galician Association for the Development of Strategic Projects, AKA Impulsa Galicia, has been established to assist in developing business ideas that would have the best leverage effect for the Galician economy
It will foster the transformation of the economy using a ‘green’, digital model and attract investment, forging partnerships, and fostering collaboration between different institutions, with a special focus on SMEs
Its first objective is to support the development of projects that form part of the Galician nominations for the Next GenerationEU funding and to help them find future investors
Santiago de Compostela
April 28, 2021
The Xunta de Galicia, Abanca, Reganosa, and Sogama have formed a new public-private organisation that will support business ventures with the tractor effect that are using environmentally friendly and digital models to contribute to the stimulation, progress, and transformation of the Galician economy.
The Galician Association for the Development of Strategic Projects, AKA Impulsa Galicia, was established with the goal of encouraging production activity in our community by attracting investment, forging partnerships, and fostering collaboration between public and private institutions with a view to launch and consolidate new businesses ideas
This new entity will prioritise SMEs, ensuring that they are the main beneficiaries of these new “tractor effect” projects that will generate economic activity and value chains. It will also provide consulting services to improve the professionalism and consolidation of new business initiatives, including legal, financial, administrative, commercial, industrial, and management support.
The organisation will act as a driving force behind new initiatives, not an investor. It has a majority private ownership and is open to new collaborative opportunities. It has a founding capital of 5 million euros, with 38% provided by Abanca, 12% provided by Reganosa, and 10% provided by Sogama, making up 60% of the total. The Xunta de Galicia provided the remaining 40%.
During this initial phase, Impulsa Galicia will have one main goal: to assist in developing strategic projects with the potential to have a tractor effect that have been included in Galicia’s nominations for the Next GenerationEU funding, before helping these projects to find investors for further development.
Galicia currently has 354 projects (247 public, 107 private) vying for the funding, which could result in 20 billion euros being invested in the region.
Galicia’s candidacy includes initiatives for SMEs that could affect the entire industrial value chain. It would also support strategic sectors in Galicia to turn them into magnets that attract the rest of the community’s production network, with special attention being paid to SMEs and self-employed people.
