Galician contracting has become one of the best ambassadors for this region With more than 10,000 international projects in more than 800 cities around the world, the international market now accounts for 95% of its invoicing. 

In this context, the Galician construction industry is an example of the specialisation and reinvention of architecture and design companies, which furnish, decorate, and embellish commercial establishments, emblematic buildings, hotels chains, and large corporations in many countries.

For the first vice-president and Regional Minister of Economy, Industry and Innovation, Francisco Conde, contracting promotes the Galicia Brand worldwide, emphasising that the region “is an international benchmark, especially in Latin America, where Galician companies from this industry have had a greater development and are better established”.

Some examples

The construction industry has been able to adapt to the new business scenarios, and has positioned itself in new business areas such as contracting because of its priorities for development.

Interior design and the creation of distinctive furniture for large retail chains, buildings, and hotels have set the tone for internationalising the work of flagship Galician companies.

Companies like Aluman, which operates in 51 countries with 10 subsidiaries around the world and projects that add up to more than €100 million. 

Other notable examples are Grupo Ramón García, which has focused its expansion on contracting, which now brings in its greatest turnover. It has a subsidiary in Mexico and projects in 70 countries.

Tattoo Contract, Ofimar, Grupo Malasa, Desarrolla, and Grupo Candido Hermida, among others, complete the range of booming contracting services, which is notable because of its great capacity for innovation, talent, and quality.

Contracting and sustainability

Part of the success of Galician contracting is due to its link with the forestry industry. 
Wood is being used by the construction industry with increasing frequency because of its sustainable nature and its flexibility for application in different products. 

According to the chairman of the Galician Wood and Design Cluster, José Manuel Iglesias, “wood responds to the challenges of bioeconomy and the demands of users for sustainable products”. He also notes “its versatility when being incorporated into different settings, the many possibilities it offers when designing objects, and all its natural qualities, which safeguard the health of its users and the environment”. 

For Iglesias, contracting is a “luxury shop window in which society can admire the possibilities offered by wood in its many applications, designs, and finishes”. He also says that if it is possible to create the materials required by this industry, the value chain will be strengthened and the needs of the markets will be linked directly to the production capacities of the Galician forests. 

International Contracting Week

For over 10 years, the Xunta has regularly been organising the International Contracting Week, in order to display the latest trends in the industry and open a forum for discussion between the various companies and consultants. In this way, Galicia becomes the host and positions its companies as a benchmark in international contracting.

During the last edition of the event, the Xunta showcased sustainability and digitalisation as being the main objectives of the industry. It also noted the importance of the projects applying for European funds centred around construction in wood, eco-design, the digitalisation of the forestry industry, and the creation of a laboratory for new materials.