Innovation, talent recruitment, support in target markets and the publication of success stories. The four pillars of Galicia’s Internationalisation Strategy for the period 2021-2025 will allow the Galician business network to access foreign markets through their commitment to digitalisation and diversification in export markets.

The objective of the Regional Government of Galicia is to reach 8000 export businesses and 25 billion euros a year in exports by 2025. “The intention is to increase the Galician presence in countries outside of the European Union” stressed the president of the Galician Government, Alberto Núñez Feijoo, during the presentation of the Strategy, which includes the challenge of tripling exportations to North America, doubling sales in South America and Asia, and increasing by 25% those headed to the UK.

The first step that will taken by the Regional Government within the framework of the new internationalisation strategy will be the investment of 70 million euros over the next two years - until 2023 - to drive the recovery of the Galician business network after the crisis caused by Covid-19. To achieve this, it will carry out actions to promote innovation, the attraction of international talent, the accompaniment of Galician companies in their target markets and the dissemination of success stories and information about the Strategy itself, which will take place through the Igape Contigo programme.

Support in target markets

The Galician Institute for Economic Promotion (Igape) backs the internationalisation initiatives of Galician companies by offering different lines of financial help and services both in the country of origin and destination. In this way, the Regional Government of Galicia reinforces the work carried out by Igape’s offshoots by opening new support offices for Galician SMEs in the process of internationalisation in Dubai and Tokyo, with the possibility, suggests Feijoo, of doing so in Brazil and South Korea from 2023. These new offshoots are in addition to the ones already open in Shanghai, Miami, Casablanca, Mexico City, Lima and London.

Igape Contigo: success stories and new needs

Igape Contigo is the programme through which the Second Vice-Presidency and Regional Ministry of Economy, Enterprise and Innovation will report on the Internationalisation Strategy itself and through which it will transfer the main success stories related to Galician SMEs entering the foreign market. In this way the Administration will gather together the needs detected by the businesses themselves and can deal with any new tools that need to be implemented.

Ensuring innovation and talent recruitment

The Formate International programme to promote knowledge in the field of digital internationalisation responds to another of the pillars of the 2021-2025 Strategy, focusing on attracting talent to Galicia from abroad through, for example, this qualification initiative aimed at all types of business models.

In addition to the training aspect, diversification and the promotion of the digital sector are at the centre of the Regional Government of Galicia's roadmap for the internationalisation of the Galician business network. All small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to expand their markets and grow will be able to take advantage of the lines of support - both financial and through specific services and tools - that promote the incorporation of digital channels in companies, as well as their participation in international meetings on innovation and entrepreneurship.