Metal Sector in Asturias
Asturias is a dynamic and enterprising region working towards the diversification of its business structure and moving towards European convergence. It is a region that has succeeded in adapting to global markets, in taking advantage of its long industrial tradition and in promoting projects based on innovation as a tool to increase their competitiveness.
Within the traditional industrial sectors, the metalwork sector and its derivatives have been, and continue to be, one of the pillars of the economy in Asturias.
At the end of the 20th century, this sector has undergone major changes. It has moved away from the traditional, semi-elaborated products towards others that offer added value, in which R+D+i and quality play an essential role as factors for competitiveness to take on positions within the markets.
The metal sector represents 11% of the total Asturian GDP with about 1,500 Asturian companies (exactly 1,479 in 2008) (one third of all industrial companies in Asturias) and 30,700 direct jobs in 2008. Its turnover exceeds 9,000,000,000 euro (year 2008). The volumn of exports, over 2,000,000,000, represents 65% of total shipments from Asturias to the exterior (data 2008).
The Asturian metalwork industry is at the forefront in the application of the latest technologies, in the use of new productive processes, of on-the-job safety systems, of environmental management and uses the most modern management methods. It is the sector with the largest number of companies with ISO 9001 certification, as well as numerous companies with environmental management systems according to the ISO 14001 standards.
Asturias, along with Madrid and Navarra, is one of the regions in Spain with the largest number of certified companies with the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) (According to the Club of Excellence report on Excellence in Spain 2009, Asturias had 57 stamps in 2008, in second place behind Madrid with 105 stamp).
In Asturias, the level of professional qualifications of this sector is very high, with several centers offering accredited Vocational Training programs, Industrial and Mining Engineering Schools - offering under-graduate and graduate degrees - supported by a number of research centers. Among these are the Fundación ITMA, with its Technological Center for Steel and Metalic Materials, and the Coal Institute.
The collaboration with the various institutions leading the way in R+D+i programs include the University, CDTI, Club Asturiano de la Calidad (Quality Club of Asturias), Club Asturiano de la Innovación (Innovation Club of Asturias), Fundación ITMA (Foundation), Fundación COTEC (Foundation), and Fundación Prodintec (Foundation), which have all worked to transform this traditional sector into one of the most advanced in the region.
