APD, Ibercaja, and Kaudal organize a seminar on business innovation financing in Aragon
The Association for the Progress of Management (APD), together with Ibercaja and Kaudal, held a specialized seminar on R&D financing on September 9 in Zaragoza, which brought together executives, innovation-intensive companies, and institutional representatives. The event, titled The Map of R&D Financing: A Guide to Successfully Fund Your Innovation, took place at the Xplora Space with the aim of analyzing current opportunities for Aragonese companies in terms of innovation financing.
Participants and opening of the event
The welcoming session featured Nacho Torre, Director of Strategy, Transformation, and Data at Ibercaja; Silvia Plaza, Director of APD in Aragon; and Asunción Martín Sobrino, General Director of Kaudal. Torre emphasized that at Ibercaja, we are fully aware that investing in innovation is investing in competitiveness, expressing the institution’s satisfaction in contributing to the development of regional innovation.
Highlighted presentations on financing
CDTI Programs
Mª Pilar González Gotor, Head of the Department of Institutional Promotion and Territorial Cooperation at the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI), presented the latest updates on the grants and programs from this public body. González Gotor emphasized that CDTI’s goal is not just to provide aid, but for companies to enrich themselves through the experience of carrying out their projects.
European funding and innovative models
Fernando Martínez, from the consulting firm Futuro Perfecto, analyzed how companies can effectively leverage the funds from Horizon Europe. Meanwhile, Rubén Alonso Palma, Director of R&D Financing Projects at Kaudal, presented the Tax Lease model as an innovative means to mobilize private investment towards R&D projects in the region.
Aragonese institutional support
The institutional representation was led by Raquel Ornat (Government of Aragon), Ana Ferra (SODIAR), and Javier Martínez (CEEI Aragon), who detailed the available support lines to promote business innovation in the community.
Ornat presented the Aragón Innovation Plan 2024-2027 as a tool designed to enhance the Aragonese innovation system and improve its national and international positioning. As explained, the plan includes a strategic agenda program that, based on a rigorous analysis of our Aragonese context, designs actions tailored to the reality of regional R&D and the productive fabric.
Sectoral perspective and conclusions
The seminar concluded with a sectoral reflection block led by the clusters CAMPAG, ARAHEALTH, AERA, and TECNARA, which shared the main challenges and needs of their respective fields.
Asunción Martín Sobrino, General Director of Kaudal, closed the meeting by stating that there are multiple formulas, mechanisms, and support available, and that the real challenge for developing entities lies in knowing how to use them strategically so that no good idea goes unsupported.
With this meeting, APD, Kaudal, and Ibercaja reaffirmed their commitment to promoting R&D and creating a competitive business ecosystem in Aragon.
