Interview with José María Roig
(President of SODENA)

December 2007

“Sodena has resources to finance projects of interest that are presented”

From SODENA we set out to encourage business projects, both local and from outside the region. To achieve this, we work with the economic and social partners to be able to make Navarre’s economy as competitive as possible.

SODENA has a number of priority sectors, among them biotechnology, nanotechnology, renewable energies, the agrifood industry, the automotive sector, transport and logistics, technology services and the capital goods sector.

What objectives has Sodena set for this legislature? Does it give priority to any particular sector?
From SODENA we set out to encourage business projects, both local and from outside the region. To achieve this, we work with the economic and social partners to be able to make Navarre’s economy as competitive as possible.

SODENA has a number of priority sectors, among them biotechnology, nanotechnology, renewable energies, the agrifood industry, the automotive sector, transport and logistics, technology services and the capital goods sector.

Does Sodena have the resources to support projects that are presented to it?
SODENA has sufficient resources to finance potential projects of interest to Navarre.
I should add that SODENA’s investments are limited in terms of duration and participation. The main instrument used by the publicly-owned company to finance projects is venture capital, and SODENA’s stake is always a minority one. Furthermore, our presence in companies does not last until the project has matured, so disinvestment by SODENA is defined right from the moment when contracts are signed.

We continue to have companies with problems of competitiveness, and some even relocate to other countries. Do you have any specific mechanisms in SODENA for sectors that are already mature and experiencing difficulties?
Among the initiatives that SODENA and the Government of Navarre will carry out are actions to support 700 small and medium-sized companies and specific monitoring of those with the greatest potential for growth, through a seedbed of companies that takes on the most innovative projects.

The portfolio of companies in which SODENA participates has grown in recent years, mainly in sectors such as services, renewable energy suppliers, etc. Are projects by multinationals now out of the frame?
SODENA aims to drive new business projects that will enable the economy of Navarre to be as competitive as possible. This is why we believe it is necessary to promote companies and, by extension, entrepreneurs. Our work will thus mainly focus on supporting and creating companies, whether they are micro-companies, SMEs or large companies, and also on encouraging entrepreneurs.

It is true that SMEs and micro-companies play a major role in the economic reality of Navarre; apart from representing 90% of the business fabric of the region they are the main source of economic activity and job creation. It is essential to innovate in the creation and consolidation of these types of companies, so SMEs and micro-companies should take advantage of what ICTs can contribute. To facilitate this process, the Government of Navarre will carry out a series of studies and will subsidise one hundred digitalisation plans, as well as offering a technical assistance centre to extend the use of ICTs.

What are the future prospects for small retail traders?
SODENA and the Department of Innovation, Business and Employment are helping small traders through better assistance mechanisms, mainly for modernisation, the implementation of new technologies and quality. We need to promote retail trade in city and town centres but we also have to respect consumers’ rights and free competition within the framework of the law.

What is your main concern of interest for the next four years as President of Sodena?
SODENA is working to structure the economy of Navarre in a balanced manner. To do this, we identify, promote and carry out business projects that do not compete on price but in products and services that stand out and contribute added value.

We work on getting companies in Navarre to innovate in products, mainly in sectors such as agriculture, energy and biomedicine. Innovation is also necessary in processes and services to make companies more competitive. We should also certainly innovate in labour relations, which I consider to be a key factor in the competitiveness of our industries.

Employment is one of your main concerns. Does Sodena do anything special in this area?
The aim of improving employment in Navarre is also a priority for SODENA. Nowadays a large part of the contracting of unemployed people is done through job centres. However, the need to be universal and transparent on the part of the Employment Service of Navarre (SNE) means that offers of non-skilled jobs have to be notified to a large number of people seeking employment, and this slows down the process of selection of personnel for companies considerably.

Through the implementation of the new system of qualifications that is now taking place, the experience of knowledge of workers is taken into account in a more specific way. This will help us to improve selection and the matching of job offers with applicants.

Furthermore, over the last two years the Government of Navarre has worked on the Empléate programme to foster work activity in sectors of the population that have experienced greater difficulties in putting their business projects into practice.