An independent study by the Valencian Institute of Economic Research (Ivie) confirms it with hard data: for every euro invested in Technology Centres, the Spanish economy gets eleven back. This is not a promise for the future — it is an already-measured result. At AIR Institute, we are part of this ecosystem, and we see this evidence as both a responsibility and an opportunity.
To mark the 30th anniversary of Fedit — the Spanish Federation of Technology Centres — the Ivie has produced an economic impact analysis that, for the first time with rigorous empirical evidence, quantifies what Technology Centres represent for Spain's productive fabric. The findings are striking: €7.702 billion in total GDP impact, 127,371 full-time equivalent jobs, and €3.947 billion in public revenue generated. Translated into investment efficiency terms, that means eleven euros of GDP for every euro invested, and 181 jobs for every million euros spent. These figures are not just good news for the sector — they are a strategic argument for those making decisions on industrial policy, public funding, and private investment in Spain.
The report identifies two main channels of economic impact. The first is the operating and capital expenditure of the Technology Centres themselves, which reached €765.5 million in 2024 and in turn generated €1.079 billion in GDP and 19,289 direct and induced jobs. The second is the increase in sales attributable to technological collaboration: €6.414 billion in additional turnover among client companies, with a total impact of €6.623 billion in GDP and 108,082 jobs. Put another way, the Technology Centre acts as a catalyst. The investment companies make in applied R&D, far from being absorbed, is multiplied throughout their value chain.
Companies that innovate with us, improve
Beyond the macroeconomic impact, the study analyses a representative sample of Technology Centre client companies and compares them with similar companies that do not collaborate with them. The results reveal significant structural differences: 85% say they achieved their expected objectives; 93.5% highlight the quality of the professional relationship; 73.5% would repeat the collaboration; and companies themselves attribute to this cooperation a median increase of 2% in sales and 0.8 percentage points in profitability.
The data go beyond reported satisfaction. Companies that collaborate with Technology Centres are, on average, more profitable, more productive, more solvent, less indebted, and larger than those that do not. This is not coincidental correlation: it is the result of having efficiently outsourced part of their R&D capacity to specialised organisations, oriented towards business results and with access to frontier technology. In practice, the Technology Centre works as an extension of the company's R&D department — particularly valuable for SMEs without internal capacity of their own — with the added benefit of reducing technological risk and accelerating time-to-market.
At AIR Institute, this model defines how we work. Every project we develop — from applied artificial intelligence to cybersecurity or data technologies — is born from the specific need of a company or consortium, and is measured by the impact it generates on their competitiveness.
A strategic infrastructure for the Spain that is coming
The report does not only look backwards. Its publication coincides with an intense European debate on strategic autonomy, reindustrialisation, and technological sovereignty. In this context, the Ivie analysis provides exactly what was missing: a solid empirical foundation to position Technology Centres as key players in applied innovation, quality employment, and sustainable economic growth.
"If Spain wants to advance in reindustrialisation, technological autonomy and productivity, Technology Centres must be recognised and reinforced as a strategic infrastructure for the country." — Laura Olcina, President of Fedit
The statement is not rhetorical. The study provides the foundation for a more ambitious public policy on innovation infrastructure. At a time when Europe is debating how to reduce external technological dependencies, Technology Centres are part of the answer.
Thirty years of ecosystem, a renewed commitment
Fedit marks three decades of work in 2026. Three decades in which Technology Centres have accompanied Spain's industrial transformation, adapting to each technological cycle: from automation to digitalisation, and from digitalisation to artificial intelligence. At AIR Institute, we see this anniversary not as a closing date, but as an inflection point.
The Ivie report reminds us that the model works — and that what lies ahead demands scaling it up. The competitiveness of Spanish companies in the coming years will depend, to a significant extent, on their capacity to innovate. And that is where Technology Centres remain indispensable.
Access the full Ivie report: https://fedit.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/202512-Informe_Impacto_FEDIT-v5.pdf