City of Gijón

  With nearly 280.000 inhabitants and a surface of 181,7 km² the municipality of Gijón is the largest city in the Spanish region of Asturias and among the fifteen largest in Spain.

The city is located in the central area of Spain’s wide Northern coastline; the hilly and uneven shoreline contrasts with the smooth inner country of the municipality with a maximum 672 metre height above sea level.

Inhabitants live next to pleasant rural surroundings and on an astonishingly beautiful coastline which makes an excellent quality of live (also due to a complex network of health care, education and leisure services).

Gijón is in a privileged geographical position. It is a few minutes away from Oviedo and Avilés using the so-called "Y" motorway, the main thoroughfare of the Asturian metropolis. It is only half an hour away from the airport of Asturias and the coal mining municipalities. 

In logistical terms, Gijón has an important position in maritime transport with one of the deepest port in the world and an international airport with regular flights with European destinations.

Strategic objectives have stimulated the economic and social development of Gijón, particularly in the improvement of urban, transport, industrial and technological infrastructures.

The city is characterised by a highly qualified workforce, with highly specialised training profiles adapted to the needs of industry, a solid development of industrial land, a targeted support for technological innovation.

About Gijón

Gijón in Flickr 

Gijón City Council

Creative Industries in Gijón

Strategic objectives have stimulated the economic and social development of Gijón, particularly in the improvement of urban, transport, industrial and technological infrastructures.

The city is characterised by a highly qualified workforce, with highly specialised training profiles adapted to the needs of industry, a solid development of industrial land, a targeted support for technological innovation.
The quantitative and qualitative analysis about the CI in Gijón until now are limited.

The number of CI enterprises in Gijón is increasing, but with a lower increase than the total number of enterprises.
In general, many of the enterprises of the CI sector are Public Administrations suppliers, and manufacture on demand.

The firm commitment to make Gijón a reference city for Creative and Cultural Industry is endorsed by municipal support for the launch of a Creative Enterprises incubator, to support the market orientation of multiple cultural or technological outcomes. One objective of the City Council of Gijón is to boost the emergence of creative enterprises by promoting the development of a business environment in this sector that would function as network and create a reference point for these companies, increasing the value of the potential of new creative incubator in order to promote cooperation between enterprises and achieve synergies in close collaboration with other key players in the town.

Municipal Centre of Enterprises of Gijón

The Municipal Centre of Enterprises of Gijón was created in 1992 as a tool to facilitate the emergence and
consolidation of new economic initiatives in the city of Gijón, using the old facilities of a glass factory.
In the beginning, the Municipal Centre of Enterprises of Gijón provided physical areas for rent to those new firms that needed a first location to start their project. Throughout these years it has been incorporating new services and activities, with the objectives of making the town of Gijon a reference for all entrepreneurs thanks to the consolidation and projection of a comprehensive, high added value service for entrepreneurs; and supporting for growth and consolidation of business initiatives in the municipality and improvement of the competitiveness of business. 

The Municipal Centre of Enterprises offers services to people who have a business idea and want to make it a reality, has been maintained. These mechanisms, a true lever for the momentum of business initiatives, range from actions for the promotion of entrepreneurial culture at all levels to training for business, consultancy for business start-ups, financing of the first steps of the initiative, or installation of equipment made available to companies in their infancy.

Also provides a service around the consolidation and growth of the enterprises, through which all actions related to the most critical stages of business development are managed, such as the maintenance and consolidation of the company after its creation in an increasingly competitive environment, and the development and expansion of its objectives, markets and facilities, faced with the new challenges and opportunities that presented themselves. The projects linked to this programme are very diverse, consisting of activities ranging from information, advice or consultancy for the consolidation to dissemination and awareness of business internationalization, improvement or promotion of the business infrastructure, to funding for business development or micro-credits to start-ups. An outstanding feature in this connection is the launch of a venture capital fund aimed at the most innovative projects.

The Scientific Technological Park of Gijón, as part of the Municipal Centre of Enterprises of Gijón, is a particularly favourable environment for the emergence of innovative technology-based, to coexist on the site, along with businesses, other entities such as Technology schools, R & D and a connection and alignment with the university by promoting in all cases technology transfer.
Can be highlighted the infrastructure of technological innovation itself, represented by the completion of the expansion of the Park in its final phase, the construction of new facilities to provide services to technology-based companies to be installed in the same, the different technological projects promoted by the Park or in collaboration with other entities.

Av. Argentina, 132
33213 Gijón – Asturias, Spain
Tlf.: +34 985308907 - Fax.: +34 985091213
pfuente@cmegijon.es
Website: www.cmegijon.es