Through Ivace, the Ministry of Economy disclosed a substantial aid package totaling 37.4 million euros aimed at modernizing industrial estates across the Valencian Community. This marked the largest single investment in this sector to date and came as the region entered the final year of the current legislative term. The city of Alicante will receive 11.46 million euros from private sources, enabling decisive action. The program covers 65 industrial zones spread over 38 municipalities. Although Minister Rafa Climent noted that the aid is not strictly regional but responds to the needs voiced by city councils, the funding amounts to roughly two million euros less than what the population figures would suggest for the area.
Climent unveiled these figures at the Consell Delegation in Alicante, with Júlia Company, Ivace’s managing director, in attendance. He framed the aid as a reflection of a steadfast commitment to the community’s business districts, placing them at the core of industrial policy while directing resources to raise their quality and attractiveness to existing companies and to stimulate the launch of new economic activities. The objective is clear: better infrastructure, improved services, and enhanced competitiveness that can attract investment and generate jobs across the region.
In total, 37.4 million euros will support investment projects across 237 industrial sites in 144 municipalities and 30 counties within the Valencian Community. The funds are earmarked for both modernization and the provision of essential infrastructure and services. Notably, the package includes a specific line of two million euros dedicated to upgrading polygons in towns facing depopulation, and a separate line of 35.42 million euros for other municipalities. Under the first line, aid covers 100 percent of eligible investments, while under the second line it covers up to 98.6 percent, underscoring the government’s willingness to shoulder most of the upfront costs to accelerate improvements.
Climent emphasized that the 2020 aid allocations represent the largest investment since the program began in 2017, directed to meet the evolving needs of self-employed workers and enterprises that emerged or expanded in the wake of the Covid crisis. He noted that annual growth in funding has averaged around five million euros, demonstrating a sustained commitment to the industrial fabric of the region. The distribution of the 11.46 million euros to the province encompasses all counties, with a special case in Alicante city where improvement plans target industrial estates including The Watchtowers, Pla de la Vallonga, Llano del Espartal, and Aguamarga, signaling a focused effort to upgrade the most strategic zones.
Consistent with these plans, the delegation also announced a new framework to support central regions with a footprint of ten million euros allocated specifically for industrial zones. The total investment pattern reflects a balance between immediate upgrades in high-weight areas and long-term modernization across smaller municipalities, aligned with population-based criteria as established by the policy guidelines.
Climent provided context for historical funding, noting that in the period 2017-2022 a total of 39.9 million euros was invested to improve 123 industrial zones across 61 municipalities in the Alicante province. These figures illustrate a broader trajectory of ongoing enhancement, aiming to upgrade infrastructure, attract new business activity, and promote sustainable growth across the Valencian economy.