- Andalusian Minister of Industry Jorge Paradela presented this public-private initiative at FEINDEF, outlining four major challenges in dual-use technology
The Andalusian Government has introduced a new program to foster projects within the region’s dual-use industry— those with civil and military applications. “This is a public-private initiative led by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines, and developed in collaboration with Innova IRV to help Andalusia’s industrial sector seize the moment and take advantage of opportunities presented by dual-use technologies,” explained Industry Minister Jorge Paradela during the presentation, joined by Fernando Chacón, Vice President of Defense, Security and Emergency at the INNOVA IRV Foundation.
On the second day of the International Defense and Security Fair (FEINDEF), Minister Paradela, accompanied by José Carlos Gómez Villamandos (Minister of University, Research and Innovation) and María del Carmen Castillo (Minister of Education Development and Vocational Training), emphasized that “the Andalusian Government firmly believes that this region, its companies, and its professionals are fully prepared to take on a leadership role from southern Europe in the technological and industrial transformation that the defense sector demands.”
That is why “we are launching a program that aims to uncover industrial capabilities and promote business collaboration by presenting four major challenges to the Andalusian industrial ecosystem, aligned with regional strengths and the European Union’s strategic autonomy goals.” These challenges correspond to the Ministry’s four core areas of focus: industrial development, mining, energy, and industrial inspections, explained Paradela during the presentation, which also featured remarks from Deputy Minister Cristóbal Sánchez.
Fernando Chacón highlighted that many industrial companies in Andalusia are not currently involved in the defense sector, but possess capabilities that could be applied to it. That is the gap this initiative seeks to bridge,
The Challenges
The first challenge revolves around the development of the ARES+D vehicle. It is a modular, low-cost, remotely operated 4×4 ground vehicle designed for emergencies, civil protection, rural surveillance, and military support.
The second challenge focuses on mining waste valorization. “Andalusia accounts for 90% of Spain’s metallic mining production value and is the second largest copper producer in Europe. Our subsoil contains indicators of 22 out of 34 critical raw materials identified by the EU.” Given this mining potential, the challenge aims to transform waste into opportunity by extracting critical minerals like zinc, copper, or tungsten through reprocessing technologies. It will also promote applied R+D while addressing the EU’s strategic need for raw materials essential to energy transition and digitalization.
The third challenge pertains to hydrogen and energy storage. With Andalusia as one of southern Europe’s leading green hydrogen producers, “we aim to leverage this industrial ecosystem to develop pilot projects for electricity generation and storage based on hydrogen.” The ultimate goal is to scale these initiatives and “enable Andalusia to lead the development of technologies applicable to energy islands, industrial self-consumption, and smart grids, while also encouraging hydrogen-based mobility,” explained Paradela.
The fourth challenge addresses predictive maintenance for vehicles, promoting the use of digital technologies and AI to anticipate mechanical failures, enhance safety, and extend the operational lifespan of both civilian and military vehicles.