A year ago and still with the state of alarm in force, Pedro Sanchez appeared to announce a plan of aid of 3.75 billion euros to the automotive sector until 2022. Sales had fallen to practically zero for several months and with the obligation to enter the electrification race, the president presented an ambitious plan to save to a bad sector. Twelve months later, the industry still expects most of the injection while the projects already executed had uneven application. Being generous, the figure already used is around 20% of what was promised.
As already explained Digital Economy, the rescue to the four wheels had a trick: it was not 3,750 million nor was it only for the car. Most of the aid was supported by loans Reindus, which are available for all industrial sectors. In 2019, only 14 automotive projects accessed the credit program for the 43 focused on food, for example.
Sánchez promised that the aid would be available from June 2020. Up to 1,535 million were going to be mobilized last year and the remaining 2,215 million would be released from 2021. With many pending items of funds Next Generation EU, the deadlines were quickly out of date.
Most of the aid package was to be distributed through Reindus. However, the 2020 was the last call, for 2021, the Government prepares the Productive Investment Fund, financed with European funds that have not yet arrived. Waiting for the approval of Brussels, the call was not even opened
Most of the auto aid is soft loans
According to State’s general budgets, the plan will have 600 million euros and the loans will be managed by SEPIDES, an organism dependent on Spanish Society of Industrial Participations (SEPI). To reach the promised figure, in 2022 the volume of credits should reach 1,200 million euros. The program, like Reindus, is aimed at the entire industry.
Waiting to see if the 1,800 million euros are executed, the Government has already opened the call for another 890 million euros also in loans. Hopefully uneven. The financing endorsed by the Official Credit Institute (ICO) for the purchase of commercial vehicles and trucks has been well received, explain financial sources. With 500 million budgeted and despite the economic weakness of the moment, the deadline to request them was first extended until June 30 and it is expected to be extended again until December 31.
The plan to refinance the Reindus loans already granted was not as successful. When it was launched in August and with only twelve days to request it, only 44.3 million of the planned 340.9 million were allocated (13%). The data includes companies from all industrial sectors, not just automobiles.
More than 500 million to renovate the car park
Beyond the credits soft, the Government also reserved up to 550 million euros to encourage the sale of cars. Most of it was due to the 250 million scrappage scheme launched a year ago that did not catch on with consumers. The program ended in December with only 50 million consumed due to the fact that the system was enabled late and it was the buyers themselves who had to carry out the procedures for a discount that did not end up being attractive to the market.
The third edition of the plan is now underway Moves, with a budget of 100 million, focused on the electric car. However, the sector regrets that the package has not taken root due to the late launch in several communities and the lack of funds in the territories where there is a greater demand for clean vehicles, such as Madrid Y Catalonia.
The remaining 200 million are pending the use of the surplus of the municipalities, which must tender for 100 million euros to renew their fleet. The rest of the administrations also have another 100 million for the acquisition of zero emission cars, but in the last two years barely 1,050 cars were awarded, according to calculations Digital Economy.
Sánchez promised more than 400 million in R&D and 100 million in training
In addition, the Executive had reserved 415 million euros in R&D and new technologies. “They will be destined to singular projects of industrial innovation in sustainable mobility, improvement of connectivity and support for the provision of very high-speed connections and public purchase of innovation for mobility infrastructures”, they pointed out from Moncloa a year ago.
Twelve months later, barely 25 million euros were tendered for the development of projects that involve the use of hydrogen. Of the rest of the measures, little details or ideas are known.
In terms of training, the Ministry of Education It is already working to accredit the experience of professionals in the sector and to update the skills of many workers. However, the union sources consulted explain that the program is being carried out by the Government itself and the sector is waiting for the results.
Yes, a digital immersion training program for SMEs in the components sector has been launched by the School of Industrial Organization (EOI). It is a pilot experience within the comprehensive plan to provide management and digitization skills in the sector, which has a budget of 50 million euros.
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