Spain

The city of Valencia

Valencia has become one of the most dynamic cities. Situated on the Mediterranean coast, it is the capital of a metropolitan area of over one and a half million inhabitants.

La Lonja is one of the most emblematic monuments in Valencia and a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and civil engineering (XV century)

The extraordinary economic and urban surge has been made possible by the enterprising spirit of the business community, a keen willingness to embrace outside ideas and the effective functioning of public administration. Deserving special mention are the City Hall and other dependent entities, such as The Centre for Strategy and Development (CEyD), under the leadership of Juan Eduardo Santón, City Councillor for Innovation and Information Society. Through CEyD, Mr Santón has concentrated his efforts on providing the city with policies geared towards realising its own assets, empowering dynamic elements, modernising the economy and transforming production structures.

“In your view, what are the differentiating features which make Valencia more appealing than other European cities?”

Valencia has unique territorial attributes: the climate and the geographical location. The city boasts extraordinarily favourable environmental factors: it has a greater surface area of warm, urban beaches than any other city in Europe and there are four nature reserves within fifteen minutes of the city centre. One of these, The Albufera, is without doubt the greatest urban reserve in Europe with its wealth of natural landscape and bio-diversity. We should also mention the privileged geographical location. By 2009 Valencia will be the Spanish city with the highest population on a two to three hour time line. These are decisive features when it comes to attracting investment and stimulating economic activity for innovation and development. All available studies predict excellent opportunities for the future in three productive areas: activities related to new technology, logistics and tourism, where diverse currents and types are evident.

The City of Arts and Science complex is the original work of architect Santiago Calatrava and is his legacy to the city of Valencia

“Valencia has shown the best results in large city urban and economic development. How has this extraordinary growth come about?”

Indeed, many Southern European cities have been amazed at Valencia’s ability to promote and embrace daring and transforming projects. But the recipe for this incredible growth is actually very simple: co-operation between the private and the public sector based on the belief that they are the perpetrators of economic activity. Traditionally the private sector in Valencia has been predominant in the generation of wealth and this should continue in the future. However, we should not forget that, given its historical and cultural blend, Valencia has always been a meeting place and a forum for the exchange of ideas and customs. It is a city of tolerance and co-existence and it has a reputation for openness and hospitality.

This explains the willingness of our public institutions to work closely with the private companies which choose to invest in our city and the respect and co-operation shown towards foreign investors and business owners. Finally within the standards set out for new specialist and peripheral centres, like other cities with certain similarities such as Dublin, Helsinki, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, Valencia has evident potential to consolidate its position as a European and world-class specialised centre.

“We are currently at a critical point in time when the transformation of production structures has become imperative. Many cities and areas in the West are experiencing serious problems in carrying out these processes. What assets does Valencia have to face the challenge?”

Valencia is the most southerly industrialised city of over 500,000 inhabitants in Europe. The city combines a favourable climate, high productivity, good infrastructures and a notable accumulation of capital. This is a combination which few cities enjoy in Europe or even in the world. It is an excellent place for investment and development of new economic activity. People work hard but enjoy a high quality of life as Valencia combines a dynamic city lifestyle with the proximity of nature and clever use of space. Investors will be reassured by the tolerance and the balanced social climate evident here. In addition, Valencia has excellent logistic conditions and it is the most important pivotal area in Spain. It is the nearest city to Madrid and Barcelona and well communicated with the most densely populated areas of Spain. It is the largest Spanish port and the airport with greatest expansion in the last few years. On the other hand it also has institutions such as “Feria Valencia” which is the largest International Trade Fair in Spain, not only in the number of exhibitions held, but also in the number of international visitors and exhibitors. It is also the largest trade fair in Southern Europe. Finally, Valencia is the nearest coastal city to Madrid and serves as a natural outlet from the capital to the sea. As a result, Valencia is an enormously dynamic business centre.

Valencia has become the second European port for container freight. The Levante and Poniente piers provide moorings for cruise ships and the new canal will have enough space for two new marinas with 700 mooring ports

“What are the key factors for the modernisation of social and economic structures in Valencia?”

The key features of the modernisation process are: training and research, awareness applied to the business sector, capacity for innovation, risk culture and promoting exchange networks and co-operation among companies and visitors. At present Valencia Polytechnic University has 45,000 students of whom 18,000 are involved in higher education technology courses. This is an excellent resource for investment in areas of production which require high technology. Our business sector has always reflected the enterprising spirit of the people and has managed to place Valencia on the map as the second-largest region of production and exports in Spain. Over the years the experienced business sector, in close co-operation with the public sector, has established a business model which is ready to embrace the demands of the new economy. This is an on-going process but undoubtedly the contribution of foreign business, especially North American, world leaders in tertiary production, would accelerate and enrich the process.

From what we have discussed so far it appears that the Valencian culture has always protected private economic activity. Business owners in Valencia have obviously played an important role here, unlike other European regions. And now with the emergence of entities such as the CEyD, geared towards the promotion and development of a new information society based economy, what exactly will they bring to the Valencian economy and society?

I think we bring coherence and I believe that we contribute towards the development of both our own and external research. We can help to channel investment into specific sectors. The CEyD, under the leadership of Valencia City Hall, is constituted by all the major bodies in the city but the ordinary citizens are effectively the main players and beneficiaries. The CEyD promotes projects based on inter-institutional co-operation, private and public sector co-operation and citizen involvement. A series of innovative structural projects have emerged from this nucleus for the economic, social and cultural strengthening of the city. Our main aims are to improve the quality of life of our people, to foster innovation in the productive sector and to aid the Local Administration to deliver more effectively to the public in general. We also provide the necessary tools to enhance Valencia`s position abroad in the areas of I+D+I. In short, we aim to provide services to the public and to all the agents involved in the development of the city, who not only participate but also benefit from the process.

 

Contact details:
Juan Eduardo Santón Mereno Centro de Estrategias y Desarrollo, Pl Zaragoza 3, E-46010 Valencia - Tel: +34 (0) 96 337 2372 - Fax: +34 (0) 96 337 4222 - E-mail: ceyd@ceyd.org - Website: ceyd.org - Delegación de Innovación y Sociedad de lat Información, Ayuntamiento de Valencia, Pl Ayuntamiento 1, E-46002 Valenica Tel: +34 (0) 96 351 7704

 

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