Photo: Juan Carlos Ramos y Roberto García (derecha), en el Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria (Pctcan). / DANIEL PEDRIZA

 

he Cantabrian cluster of the ICT sector calls for the implementation of a Digital Agenda, as well as a regional cybersecurity center

The Association of Information and Communication Technologies of Cantabria, known as the TERA cluster, demands “sensitivity” from the Autonomous Government and the rest of the Public Administrations of the Community towards local companies in the bidding processes that are promoted from the region. The group, which brings together 32 companies and entities, was born in 2020 and despite the convulsive situation in which it has taken its first steps, it seeks to continue growing to be a voice that the rest of the agents listen to carefully, especially with respect to its analyzes and recommendations on the digital transformation of the economy and the territory, starting with the digital skills of citizens and workers.

As the manager of the technological cluster, Juan Carlos Ramos, recalls, TERA emerged “in February 2020, a month before the pandemic, although it advanced incipiently the previous year. Initially it was promoted by four or five companies in the sector that sought to integrate all the agents that operate in the field of information and communication technologies in Cantabria », he starts.

 

What is the project looking for? «Joint strategies to increase competitiveness, as well as joint business opportunities», he maintains.

According to Ramos, the starting point of the work was based on a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities). The spokesman points out that in Cantabria there are some 230 technology companies, which represent 0.35% of the national ICT sector, below the classic regional weight of 1% over the country as a whole.

As a clear area for improvement, “we have a predominance of micro-enterprises, that is, a size problem. There was also not much business investment, as well as little visibility.

Likewise, lack of venture capital…». he details it, to add that the global turnover is 500 million euros.

TERA was born in 2020 with the idea of favoring joint strategies to increase the competitiveness of entities that the Association currently has, both private and public-private

The cluster proposes to look at what neighboring communities are doing as a role model for the national ICT sector, representing the Cantabrian companies in the industry

 

Seated this premise, the manager enters the matter. «The main beneficiaries of public procurement in Cantabria are the large multinationals. Ferrovial, Telefónica, ATOS… », he affirms.

What differentiates TERA from Ascentic? «Ascentic is the Cantabrian employer of the technology sector. It promotes initiatives to promote ICT in all areas and represents companies. TERA seeks joint business between organizations in the sector. It favors the creation of UTE both from inside and outside. We encourage cooperation between partners to solve problems of scale. In addition, it guarantees the technological workforce and we are committed to an external opening towards other autonomies. We believe that both entities are compatible », he says.

European funds

Among the challenges of the cluster emerges in an inalienable way to position itself as “institutional interlocutor in the region”. From there, a demand: «The creation of a Digital Agenda in Cantabria.

We are the only community without an agenda that orders the Executive’s ideas and projects in terms of digitization », he maintains, to ‘save’ the Ministry of Health from this situation.

The claims do not end there. “We ask for the existence of a cybersecurity center for Cantabria, which does not exist and almost all the regions are working on it,” he adds. “It depends on the approach

want to give to the center has to be promoted by the private sector or another, ”completes the vice president, Roberto García.

«The sum of all the skills of TERA are capable of meeting any technological need. We want the regional government to be sensitive to the specifications. They need to be further broken down to further specialize the opportunities,” says Ramos.

And the management of Cantabria to propose projects likely to attract European funds? “By looking at ourselves in the mirror of nearby communities, we are satisfied,” they admit.

 

JESÚS LASTRA

Santander. Tuesday, March 22, 2022

El Diario Montañés