Adrián Barbón, the President of the Government of the Principality of Asturias, and Indra Group Executive Chairman, Ángel Escribano, discuss the request that the new armored vehicle plant in Gijón be designated an industrial project of strategic interest

Adrián Barbón, the President of the Principality of Asturias, and Indra Group Executive Chairman, Ángel Escribano, met today at the offices of the Presidency of the Principality to highlight the company’s commitment to establishing the nerve center of its industrial activity to manufacture, transform and modernize military armored vehicles in Asturias.

During the meeting, Escribano submitted the request for the regional government to declare El Tallerón in Gijón a PIER (Project of Strategic Interest), a measure that would maximize the project’s economic and social impact, foster reindustrialization and strengthen the supply chain, boost its competitiveness, and minimize administrative procedures to accelerate the start-up of the industrial activity.

Moreover, declaring this development to be a strategic project would help to place Asturias at the epicenter of the industrial and technological development of Spanish defence. The designation would also foster public-private collaboration and consolidate an innovative ecosystem capable of generating highly-qualified employment, boosting the auxiliary industry and opening up new opportunities for local suppliers. Similarly, its designation as a PIER would provide immediate access to all of the economic and financial incentive tools made available by the administration of the Principality of Asturias.

Projects of Strategic Interest are regulated by Law 7/2024 of the Principality of Asturias and seek to streamline and facilitate strategic investments to transform the Asturian economy, prioritizing projects with a high impact on employment, sustainability, and digitalization. If it were approved, it would be the first in the category to be deployed in Asturias.

Indra Group Executive Chairman, Ángel Escribano, emphasized during the press conference following the meeting in the Principality: 'I want to thank all Asturians and the President of the Principality for the warm welcome and collaboration they’ve shown toward Indra. We will continue creating jobs and developing technological capabilities in Asturias. One of these initiatives will include a modern test track for conducting mobility trials of land-based platforms.'"

Adrián Barbón, the President of the Principality of Asturias, declared that “Indra’s commitment will underpin Asturias as a land of opportunities and confirm its industrial resurgence”.

A €43-million investment to convert El Tallerón into a European flagship

In July, Indra Group completed the purchase of El Tallerón in order to transform it into one of the most modern plants in Europe to manufacture armored vehicles and tanks. During the operation, 156 professionals joined Indra’s workforce, and they are now receiving specific training to perform new duties in the advanced industrial processes set to be introduced.

The company has announced an initial investment amounting to €43 million to adapt and modernize the facilities, incorporate cutting-edge technologies and equip the plant with proprietary Industry 4.0 processes, with the aim of turning the center into a strategic hub for the manufacture and integration of state-of-the-art terrestrial platforms.

Commitment to employment, training and strategic autonomy

In addition to maintaining the existing employment, Indra has implemented training and upskilling programs to enable the workers to acquire new competences, reinforcing their position in the industry and guaranteeing sustainable and highly-specialized jobs.

With this project, Indra will bolster its industrial capabilities, increase its efficiencies and contribute to strengthening domestic and European strategic autonomy, a key goal of the Leading the Future Strategic Plan. The initiative will also contribute to Asturias’ participation in major multinational defence programs, positioning the region as a significant player in the sector.

Indra Group also boasts a center of technological excellence in ATM (Air Traffic Management) software projects in Asturias, employing around 230 people and providing extremely relevant high-level elements for several innovative product lines. The facility, located in Gijón’s Technological and Scientific Park, works on several domestic and international projects in the field of iTEC (interoperability Through European Collaboration), and ManagAir, a proprietary automation solution which is widely implemented around the world and currently under development in Abu Dhabi and Mumbai.

Within the region, it has reached an academic development agreement with the University of Oviedo (a chair), five collaboration agreements on cybersecurity and ten agreements with vocational training centers.