Co-authored by Antonio A. Conde,
Innovation and Digitization Nation Chief at Cisco
As Cisco celebrates ten years of Nation Digital Acceleration, Spain stands out as a vibrant instance of what’s doable when imaginative and prescient, partnership, and innovation come collectively. Nation Digital Acceleration has been the driving power behind Spain’s digital journey, setting the tempo for transformation that touches each sector and neighborhood.
Nation Digital Acceleration (CDA) is Cisco’s world initiative to co-invest with nationwide governments, trade, and academia to speed up digital development, inclusion, and competitiveness. In Spain, this program is named Cisco Digitaliza—and since 2018, it has grow to be a catalyst for progress, aligning with the nationwide Spain Digital Agenda 2026 and the objectives of the Subsequent Era EU restoration funds.
Driving influence: Seven years of progress in Spain
Once we have a look at Spain’s digital panorama right this moment, the numbers inform a narrative of speedy evolution.
The nation’s tech ecosystem has expanded by 22%, now encompassing almost 8,600 firms and producing over €14.8 billion in financial influence (i). Enterprise funding in deep-tech rose by almost 46% in 2023 alone (ii)and Spain’s GDP continues to develop—reaching round 3.2% in 2024one of many quickest charges within the eurozone (iii).
Behind these numbers is the work of CDA, driving over 114 initiatives throughout key sectors to construct digital expertise, modernize providers, and safe crucial infrastructure.
This system’s success could be attributed to its strategic give attention to clearly outlined influence areas:
Creating digital expertise
A cornerstone of this system’s influence has been the expansion of the Cisco Networking Academy. Greater than 470K folks in Spain have been skilled in networking, cybersecurity, IoT, and programming, opening new doorways for youth, ladies, and professionals looking for to upskill in a fast-changing economic 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 providers
CDA has helped deliver digital innovation to school rooms, clinics, and authorities places of work throughout Spain. From safe, related school rooms and telemedicine options to AI-assisted diagnostics and IoT-based emergency administration, these initiatives have helped enhance the standard and effectivity of providers that contact thousands and thousands of lives. The initiatives have centered on utilizing know-how to drive productiveness and enhance affected person outcomes. When public providers are fashionable and resilient, everybody advantages.
Securing crucial infrastructure
Digital transformation calls for belief. Working with authorities businesses and trade leaders, CDA has introduced superior cybersecurity applied sciences and coaching to guard Spain’s important providers—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 heart in Barcelona 
In 2023, CDA helped launch a state-of-the-art semiconductor design heart in Barcelona. This facility is growing 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 heart will grow 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 initiatives in Spain. These initiatives deliver collectively public establishments and main universities to develop and pilot cryptographic protocols which can be resilient to quantum algorithms—serving to safeguard crucial information for years to return. The groups have additionally begun assessing present programs for compliance with rising world 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. Via 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, trade, and academia to create modern ecosystems that assist scalable synthetic intelligence functions, optimize manufacturing processes, and increase Spain’s world competitiveness. These initiatives are serving to to determine Spain as a pacesetter in sensible manufacturing and AI-enabled trade 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 modern, and safer. This system’s collaborative mannequin—uniting public, personal, and educational companions—exhibits what’s doable after we spend money on know-how for influence.
Trying Forward
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. Discover extra about Cisco’s Nation Digital Acceleration journey and be part of us as we form what comes subsequent for Spain and past.
Sources:
(i) Spain’s tech increase: €14.8B influence, 8,580 startups — however the place are the ladies?
(ii) Quantitative Report on Deep Tech In Spain
(iii) Spain Full Yr GDP Development
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