Admiral Aniceto Rosique Nieto, National Armaments Director (NAD) at Spain’s Ministry of Defence, visited Innova IRV’s industrial and technology ecosystem at Andalusia Technology Park (Málaga TechPark) on Tuesday. The visit, organised by the Foundation, was conducted on behalf of the Lieutenant General Miguel Ivorra Ruiz, Director General for Strategy and Innovation in the Defence Industry.
The objective of the meeting was to present the technological developments underway within the Málaga-based ecosystem and to assess their alignment with the strategic priorities of the Defence Technology and Innovation Strategy (ETID 2026) and the Defence Industry Strategy. These strategies prioritise R&D investment to ensure technological superiority, strategic autonomy, and national sovereignty, with a particular emphasis on dual-use technologies.
During the tour, the admiral visited the Dekra and Aertec facilities and held discussions with representatives from the ITA, Eurecat, and Tecnalia technology centres. The meeting aimed to highlight the strength of the Andalusian innovation sector and its potential contribution to national defence capabilities.
Rosique Nieto highlighted Innova IRV’s role “as a backbone for relationships with regional and local entities, as well as companies.”
Following this meeting, Innova IRV reinforces its role as a stable link with the Ministry of Defence. It will relay the concerns, opportunities, and potential barriers identified by companies within the ecosystem, while also communicating to the Andalusian technology sector the needs expressed by the Spanish Government.
“We very rarely have the opportunity to speak directly with decision-makers. It has been key to be able to share our concerns first-hand. Any research line within our verticals can become dual-use technology, especially in such a cutting-edge and high-demand sector as defence,” said Fernando Chacón, Vice President for Defence, Security and Emergencies at Innova IRV.