Published the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan of CDTI Innovation
The Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI Innovation) has published its Strategic Plan for 2024-2027, aimed at boosting the innovation ecosystem in Spain. This plan, backed by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, focuses on several key pillars to promote research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) in the country.
The goal of the Strategic Plan is to advance Spanish R&D&I in a structured and coherent manner. To achieve this, CDTI Innovation will rely on this Strategic Plan, as well as on the Annual Action Plans (AAPs), which set specific objectives and actions for each year.
Backed by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, this plan focuses on several fundamental pillars to foster R&D&I in our country, adapting to a post-PRTR (Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan) scenario and setting measures to maintain funding and promote public-private collaboration in R&D&I. This implies that CDTI Innovation will seek to maintain the funding level reached during the PRTR’s execution, although a significant increase in public spending on R&D&I is not expected.
The CDTI Innovation Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 defines the key areas for supporting innovation policies during this period by introducing significant improvements in funding instruments, strengthening participation in international programs, boosting regional collaboration, and applying internal improvements mainly related to simplifying processes and administrative procedures. Additionally, the plan foresees promoting three key criteria in the management of public subsidies: accessibility (simplification of procedures), flexibility (administrative and financial), and predictability (call schedules).
In short, the Strategic Plan of CDTI Innovation for 2024-2027 provides a modern and updated perspective on traditional support for innovation, adopting an ecosystem approach, contributing to generating more innovative opportunities, strengthening the links between agents of the Spanish innovation ecosystem, and repositioning CDTI Innovation as a key actor in driving innovation in Spain.
Moreover, the plan aligns with the resources available in the 2025 General State Budget, with a commitment to maintaining funding for innovation projects throughout the period, proposing a clear distinction between instruments and services.
Financing Instruments
Capitalization Instruments: Innvierte Program
The focus will be on improving the Innvierte Program, which seeks to foster investment in technology companies with high growth potential. The goal is to attract private capital and strengthen public-private collaboration in financing innovative projects.
Partially Reimbursable Grants (APR)
These grants combine a reimbursable portion with a non-reimbursable one, allowing companies to benefit from more flexible financial support.
CDTI Innovation plans to improve the net equivalent subsidy generated by this instrument by reviewing and enhancing the non-reimbursable portions and studying possible interest rate reductions. The plan also proposes extending grace periods and advances, facilitating access to financing through systems for reducing guarantees and pledges via the technical provisions fund and establishing a new guarantee instrument through Invest-EU. Additionally, a significant simplification of the procedures for requesting R&D&I business project grants is under consideration, incorporating self-assessment mechanisms and facilitating the eligibility of proposal preparation activities, including consultancy and advisory costs.
Within the Strategic Plan, the partially reimbursable funding lines will include: R&D Projects, Aerospace and Cutting-edge Health PERTES, R&D Cooperation Projects (CID), Cervera R&D Transfer Projects, Dual R&D Projects, FEMPA (investment and innovation) projects, Innovation Lines (LIC and LICa), and strengthening lines for Aerospace and Cutting-edge Health PERTES.
National Project Financing
Grants
They must meet the criteria of complementarity with other instruments, generating added value for the entire business innovation ecosystem that cannot be achieved through partially reimbursable or capital instruments.
Grants will be allocated to programs with the greatest impact, higher technological risk, or those generating changes in the behavior of the innovation ecosystem, either by fostering the transfer of results and/or promoting national or international collaboration.
Under the Strategic Plan, the following grant lines are proposed: NEOTEC program, Excellence Label, European Partnerships, Excellence Label Program, Interconecta-STEP, Innovation Ecosystems, the Science and Innovation Missions program, and the Cervera program.
It should be noted that STEP (Strategic Technologies Platform) is a European initiative that aims to coordinate the development and implementation of critical technologies. It is not a new funding program but an initiative that coordinates, strengthens, and directs up to 11 different funding sources at the European level, focusing on three strategic sectors:
- Digital and deep innovation technologies: including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and advanced connectivity, as well as cybersecurity, robotics, and microelectronics.
- Clean and resource-efficient technologies: focusing on net-zero solutions such as carbon capture and storage technologies and heat pumps, among others.
- Biotechnologies: including essential medicines for the European Union, as well as biotechnology (molecular, industrial, and crop) and pharmaceutical products.
The new Interconecta-STEP call will specifically aim to boost R&D activity in disadvantaged Spanish regions, with the call expected between March and May 2025. The launch of new calls for the Neotec and Cervera programs is also planned for April to May 2025.
In this way, CDTI Innovation will support technology companies throughout their lifecycle: for companies less than three years old (startups and EBTs) through the Neotec Program, supporting growing companies with the Innvierte Program, and assisting established companies in their R&D&I projects through enhanced partially reimbursable grants.
Public Procurement of Innovation (CPI)
The focus will primarily be on Pre-commercial Public Procurement (CPP), which allows public administrations to acquire innovative products and services to drive the development of new technologies. The CPP will mainly be developed through FEDER funds, and during 2025, a review of CPP will be carried out, presenting a new Pre-commercial Public Procurement framework. In 2025, the new CPI network will be launched with the participation of key stakeholders in this area, with the aim of enhancing and promoting the participation of Spanish companies in international programs.
CDTI Innovation Services
Through these services, CDTI Innovation aims to foster Spanish companies’ and institutions’ participation in the EU’s Framework R&D Program, facilitate their access to large European scientific-technological facilities and their multilateral programs, promote international technological cooperation with the support of state bodies like ICEX, COFIDES, and AECID, and enhance cross-cutting services of value for Spanish companies, such as reports for applying R&D tax deductions.
Strategic Alliances and Public Presence
Among the most notable initiatives of the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan, CDTI Innovation will work closely with regional governments to establish alliances that enable co-financing of projects and the implementation of joint programs. This effort aims to improve the effectiveness of innovation policies at the regional level.
Moreover, alliances will be promoted to disseminate innovation tools and foster a culture of business innovation, strengthening collaboration with the entire General Administration of the State.
Another cornerstone of this strategy is the commitment to transparency, initiative evaluation, and accountability, with a clear focus on socially responsible innovation.
Strengthening Capabilities
The document also addresses administrative simplification to streamline internal processes and improve operational efficiency. This reform will be complemented by the adoption of quality management certifications, ensuring high operational standards.
Furthermore, to foster organizational innovation, CDTI Innovation will create cross-functional working groups to promote collaboration between areas, encourage ideation, experimentation, and prototyping, and develop an internal communication plan that ensures smooth and effective communication within the institution. An external expert group is already functioning to act as a bridge between the organization and the business environment’s needs regarding public R&D&I funding, driving proposals to improve the system.
Additionally, key actions will include enhancing organizational learning capabilities, adopting new working methods, and implementing institutional reclassification and reforms to the Center’s statutes to strengthen its structure and governance.
It is noteworthy that, under this framework, CDTI Innovation plans to strengthen the Spanish innovation ecosystem by injecting about €1.2 billion annually, with 15%-20% of these funds allocated as grants, and ensuring a sustained annual increase in the European return from Spanish companies’ participation in EU Innovation programs.
