Sustainable Economy Minister Rafa Climent announced on Tuesday that next year the plan allocates 40.7 million euros in direct aid to develop industrial areas. This figure for the Valencia Community marks a 7% increase from the current year and aims to render these venues more competitive and sustainable.
He shared these intentions in his address on the opening day of the Valencia Community Industrial Zones Congress, held this Tuesday and Wednesday at the Alicante Maca Contemporary Art Museum, an event organized by Feval. The congress gathers representatives from management and modernization bodies and experts who oversee the performance of industrial enclosures created by the Generalitat in 2018 to professionalize the sector and replace weaker associations and assets with limited capacity for action with stronger governance and better resources.
To date, only 12 of the 740 business parks in the region have taken this step, roughly 3 percent of the autonomous community, with three of 180 in the province of Alicante embracing the program. The minister confirmed that the polygons forming an EGM will gain access to larger grants. Eligible assistance will be capped at up to one million euros for these polygons, versus 200,000 euros for the rest of the sites.
The congress will unite officials and institutional partners with industry professionals who will present knowledge and case studies to elevate the quality and management of these business areas.
Generalitat will expand support for polygons forming management and modernization assets
Rafa Climent highlighted Ivace subsidies as a catalyst for advancing industrial estates, positioning the region as a leader in resource allocation and yearly investment toward modernization and service upgrades for business parks.
Since 2017 Ivace has invested 143 million euros to modernize infrastructures and services, renewing the image of 433 industrial zones across 215 municipalities.
The third Valencia Community Congress of Industrial Zones will focus on the importance of effective management and sustainability of business parks on 13 and 14 December. It aims to explore key practices that improve management and achieve circular economy goals, add value through digitalization and Industry 4.0, promote industrial symbiosis, sustainable mobility, security, and better infrastructure management of industrial areas.
opening day highlights
In the opening session, Fepeval chair Santiago Salvador described the Valencia Community as a pioneer in managing, modernizing, and promoting industrial areas, noting that legislation from the country is now being adopted by other regions.
Salvador stressed that EGMs are essential tools for continuing to professionalize industrial zones and improving infrastructures and basic services, encouraging public-private collaboration as the right model for managing business parks and attracting new services and investments.
He also pointed out that much of the park infrastructure is aging, with about 95% of sites more than 20 years old. Modernizing these facilities is necessary to draw new companies and retain those already based in the community’s parks.
Salvador emphasized the need to cultivate a culture of quality management across industrial regions, noting that the congress is a chance to show how business parks can be competitive spaces that generate work and wealth, while remaining welcoming places for workers.
watchtowers and challenges in water management
Alicante Local Development and Employment Advisor Mari Carmen from Spain praised the congress for its emphasis on renewing industrial areas, citing watchtowers and other exemplars as indicators of a robust EGMs program that will soon expand to other sites.
<p Ivace’s managing director Julia Company underscored the value of a recurring two-day forum for sharing insights to make workplaces more competitive and sustainable, describing the congress as a platform to present the economic motor of municipalities—the industrial parks themselves.
toward sustainability
The keynote, titled Sustainability as a Strategic Axis of the Business Fabric, featured Ana Lafuente, regional director at i-DE Iberdrola. Jose Manuel Martinez, managing director of Eiffage Energía Sistemas and Eiffage’s Spanish delegate, also spoke. Lafuente noted that companies are responsive to their environments and should start the energy transition by embracing renewable energies.
A roundtable on Management of Business Areas as a Driver for Companies was moderated by Fepeval’s vice president, with participants including Neumaticos Soledad’s president Salvador Perez, Sprinter Megacentros del Deporte’s operations chief Angel Segarra, and José Sampere, Alicante representative for Nunsys. The discussion highlighted the need to modernize often overlooked parks to integrate them into city life and strengthen regional competitiveness.
Salvador Pérez highlighted that the establishment of Soledad Tires in Elche Business Park adds value by its proximity to the airport and access to shops, restaurants, and medical centers. Segarra noted the creation of a mini-city within a sports complex—facilities like gyms and restaurants that encourage interaction within shared spaces. Sampere described synergies created when multiple firms collaborate within a park that would be unlikely otherwise. Fepeval, founded in 1999, now encompasses 51 associations and organizations representing more than 150 industrial parks and over 6,000 companies, and is a founding member of the Spanish Confederation of Business Areas (CEDAES).