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Co-authored by Antonio A. Conde,
Innovation and Digitization Country Leader at Cisco
As Cisco celebrates ten years of Country Digital Acceleration, Spain stands out as a vibrant instance of what’s potential when imaginative and prescient, partnership, and innovation come collectively. Country Digital Acceleration has been the driving power behind Spain’s digital journey, setting the tempo for transformation that touches each sector and neighborhood.
Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) is Cisco’s international initiative to co-invest with nationwide governments, business, and academia to speed up digital progress, inclusion, and competitiveness. In Spain, this program is named Cisco Digitaliza—and since 2018, it has turn out to be a catalyst for progress, aligning with the nationwide Spain Digital Agenda 2026 and the targets of the Next Generation EU restoration funds.
Driving influence: Seven years of progress in Spain
When we have a look at Spain’s digital panorama immediately, the numbers inform a narrative of speedy evolution.
The nation’s tech ecosystem has expanded by 22%, now encompassing almost 8,600 corporations and producing over €14.8 billion in financial influence [i]. Venture funding in deep-tech rose by almost 46% in 2023 alone [ii], and Spain’s GDP continues to develop—reaching round 3.2% in 2024, one of many quickest charges within the eurozone [iii].
Behind these numbers is the work of CDA, driving over 114 tasks throughout key sectors to construct digital abilities, modernize companies, and safe crucial infrastructure.
The program’s success will be attributed to its strategic concentrate on clearly outlined influence areas:
Developing digital expertise
A cornerstone of this system’s influence has been the expansion of the Cisco Networking Academy. More than 470K individuals in Spain have been skilled in networking, cybersecurity, IoT, and programming, opening new doorways for youth, ladies, and professionals in search of to upskill in a fast-changing financial system. These efforts don’t simply construct resumes—they construct confidence, create alternatives, and empower communities. Many an extended and profitable profession in tech has began on the Cisco Networking Academy.
Modernizing public companies
CDA has helped carry digital innovation to school rooms, clinics, and authorities workplaces throughout Spain. From safe, related school rooms and telemedicine options to AI-assisted diagnostics and IoT-based emergency administration, these tasks have helped enhance the standard and effectivity of companies that contact tens of millions of lives. The tasks have centered on utilizing know-how to drive productiveness and enhance affected person outcomes. When public companies are fashionable and resilient, everybody advantages.
Securing crucial infrastructure
Digital transformation calls for belief. Working with authorities companies and business leaders, CDA has introduced superior cybersecurity applied sciences and coaching to guard Spain’s important companies—vitality, healthcare, transportation, and extra. These efforts imply that as Spain turns into extra related, it additionally turns into extra resilient to cyber threats.
Innovation Milestones
Semiconductor design middle in Barcelona 
In 2023, CDA helped launch a state-of-the-art semiconductor design middle in Barcelona. This facility is creating superior chips for connectivity, cybersecurity, and high-performance computing, positioning on the coronary heart of Europe’s semiconductor worth chain and supporting technological sovereignty throughout the continent. With the launch of CDA 3, this design middle will turn out to be much more related and strategic to the area’s innovation ecosystem.
Pioneering quantum-safe cryptography
Recognizing the safety challenges posed by quantum computing, Cisco’s CDA program has spearheaded quantum-safe cryptography tasks in Spain. These tasks carry collectively public establishments and main universities to develop and pilot cryptographic protocols which can be resilient to quantum algorithms—serving to safeguard crucial knowledge for years to return. The groups have additionally begun assessing current methods for compliance with rising international safety requirements, supporting Spain’s ongoing efforts to bolster nationwide cyber resilience. By investing early in quantum-safe applied sciences, CDA ensures Spain stays forward of future threats and helps set benchmarks for different nations
AI and Giga Factories
Spain’s dedication to next-generation industrial improvement is clear within the rise of AI Factories and Giga Factories—large-scale, data-driven manufacturing and analysis hubs. Through CDA, Cisco offers the safe, clever digital infrastructure wanted to energy these factories, from high-speed connectivity and superior networking to automation and energy-efficient operations. CDA has fostered collaborations between authorities, business, and academia to create progressive ecosystems that help scalable synthetic intelligence purposes, optimize manufacturing processes, and increase Spain’s international competitiveness. These tasks are serving to to ascertain Spain as a frontrunner in sensible manufacturing and AI-enabled business at scale.
Why it issues: Spain as a mannequin for digital transformation
In simply seven years, Cisco Digitaliza has helped Spain construct a digital ecosystem that’s extra expert, extra progressive, and safer. The program’s collaborative mannequin—uniting public, personal, and tutorial companions—reveals what’s potential once we put money into know-how for influence.
Looking Ahead
The story doesn’t finish right here. Cisco has renewed its dedication to the CDA program in Spain three extra years—reflecting our perception in Spain’s potential to guide in synthetic intelligence, quantum analysis, superior manufacturing, and past. We’re excited to maintain constructing a extra inclusive, related, and safe future. Explore extra about Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration journey and be part of us as we form what comes subsequent for Spain and past.
Sources:
[i] Spain’s tech growth: €14.8B influence, 8,580 startups — however the place are the ladies?
[ii] Quantitative Report on Deep Tech In Spain
[iii] Spain Full Year GDP Growth
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