The president of the Diputación de Pontevedra, Carmela Silva, went decisively for the support of business initiatives that are created within the locality as she considers that they are a source of employment and wealth that is necessary to carried out by the local government. The talent that treasures the human capital that exists in Pontevedra and the favorable cultural, natural and social environment that the county has, makes it, in her opinion, a privileged place for any entrepreneur who wants to build a business project, whatever their area of action it might be.
-What are the main lines of action from the County Council when it comes to supporting entrepreneurs or businesses?
-We have many lines of support. We have in the industrial estate of Barro-Meis with offices and warehouses for business nurseries and the recently opened Coworking and Fab Lab. This type of initiatives allows us to undertake new business projects at competitive prices well below the market. They are very expensive resources because the prices of offices and warehouses are high in the market. We also have the SmartPeme network, which is located in seven spaces in each of the districts of Pontevedra, where SMEs, self-employed, freelancers and entrepreneurs are given information, training, advice on a daily basis about the use of ICTs. In this way the companies that already exist and those that are going to be incorporated can get all the necessary information about the resources they have access to and the new technologies so that their businesses are more efficient, more benefits are obtained and more employment can be created. Starting from February, there will be a new SmartPeme headquarters in the Barro-Meis polygon. We have specialists in the various sectors: tourism, agriculture, culture, natural stone, etc. We have a large package of measures to try to modernize all the productive sectors of the locality.
-What objectives do you pursue with the recent implementation of Coworking and the Fab Lab?
-The main thing is to ensure that all people who have an entrepreneurial idea in the locality can turn it into something real. The Fab Lab can be used by all those who take part in in the Coworking and any entrepreneur in the county who wants to have access to new technologies to develop their projects. It will be an open space for women and men to have all the tools of innovation that are very expensive and of which are not always available for them. They will have the best and most innovative technologies that, in addition, we will incorporate them into the Fab Lab when they come. There will be a total of four events of the Coworking in two years, with which may come up with between 80 and 100 new business projects.
-What comparative advantages can entrepreneurs find in the province of Pontevedra?
-We have a very powerful university that dedicates its action to everything that has to do with the different industries and creativity. Uvigo generates the knowledge so that the county has excellent business people. We have knowledge so that you can create anything business wise, from the metallurgical industry to a cultural company because the University covers all those fields. In addition, the county is in an environment that has leading companies in various sectors: naval, fishing, automobile. We have a level of innovation and automation that few places in the world do. We also enjoy a privileged natural and cultural environment, with a historical trajectory and with the enormous talent that the people of this county have. To all this we must add that we have a global mentality because we have been immigrants abroad too.
-What is the role of the administrations in terms of supporting the local business people?
-We have some administrations, I feel that they are not all, that we are aware that our role has changed and that we must lead technological change by being more business oriented and more proactive. In this county, there is a lot of talent that has to go from darkness to light and that is what we have to do with the administrations. We are dedicated to the policy of changing society and, in this case, that is being achieved by offering infrastructure, room, tools, spaces and projects to entrepreneurs that allow the county to remain a place with much economic activity and job creation. We are a very powerful county in the region