Spanish Industry: Territorial Trends and Sector Analysis

Current territorial trends in Spanish industry:

  • Main production sectors: Steel-based activities or metallurgy are primarily located along the Cantabrian coast, especially in the Basque Country and Asturias, where the major integrated steel mills in Spain are situated.
  • Metallurgy processing and the manufacturing of all kinds of machinery are concentrated within the Barcelona-Basque Country-Madrid triangle.
  • Vehicle manufacturing, mainly cars, is also found in this area. Large shipyards are located in Vizcaya, Cantabria, and Cadiz.
  • Competition comes from other countries, including newly industrialized South Korea.
  • Electric and electronic equipment manufacturing is also located within the aforementioned triangle.

Non-Metallurgical Activities

  • The chemical industry has a similar location to the metallurgical transformation sector, with a presence in the Basque coast, Catalonia, and Madrid.
  • The textile and garment industry is a basic sector of the industrial fabric, absorbing more than 10% of total industrial activity. This sector, traditionally very labor-intensive, is currently being replaced by machinery, leading to high unemployment rates in both the textile and garment subsectors.
  • The location of the textile industry is more due to historical inertia than to the influence of consumer markets. The same applies to the shoe and graphic arts industries.
  • The textile industry is concentrated in the Mediterranean regions, with Catalonia and the Valencian Community accounting for 65% and 20% of the garment labor force, respectively.
  • Together, these two regions and Madrid account for more than 50% of employment and over 70% of Gross Value Added (GVA).

Classification of Industrial Areas in Spain

Developed Areas

  • Characterized by high industrial density, sometimes reaching saturation levels.
  • These areas experience concentration trends, with headquarters of large enterprises and outsourcing of economic activities increasing their global economic potential.
  • Madrid occupies a hegemonic position in the Spanish industrial landscape due to its political and administrative centrality and the accumulation of foreign capital.
  • Main industrial activities are focused on metal processing and light chemical industry.
  • Catalonia is the region with the highest industrial production. Its comprehensive labor market and good network of raw material supplies are coupled with strong local demand. The primary manufacturing activity is the transformation of metallic products.
  • The concentration is greater around Barcelona, and its expansion extends further from Madrid.
  • Traditional areas emerged in the 1960s. These are essentially saturated areas in the Ebro Valley and the Mediterranean arch.
  • Traditional sectors devoted to agribusiness and wood, generally rural family-based, are joined by new industries sponsored by major multinational corporations.

Areas Undergoing Late Reconversion

  • The Basque Country, Cantabria, and Asturias are areas in industrial decline undergoing a late reconversion.
  • In the Basque Country, the steel crisis, limited industrial diversification, and high manufacturing dependence have led to the current state.
  • Cantabria and Asturias face similar issues, repeating the problems of the two earlier regions, particularly the crisis of ENSIDESA and HUNOSA.

Scarce Industrial Areas

  • These include the interior regions, island regions, and coastal and inland Atlantic regions.
  • Island regions have industrial enclaves but have not yet established an integrated system linking these enclaves and the companies themselves to the overall development of the region.
  • In the Atlantic coast, a first axis can be found in Galicia, with endpoints in A Coruña, Ferrol, and the vigorous Porriño area.