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The fame of Spain is anythingbut plain as the nation’screative spirit soars overseas

Whenever Carrie has a romanticbreakup on HBO’s Sex and the City,at least she has her Manolos to turnto. The character played by Sarah Jes-sica Parker is known for her attach-ment to fashion, higher on her listthan the complicated boyfriend. Herstiletto-heeled shoes, designed bySpain’s Manolo Blahnik, of theeponymous label, are the quintes-sence of urban chic.

Like Carrie, many Americans aremagnetized by the aesthetics ofSpain. Here, everything is art. Dur-ing their junior year abroad, U.S. ex-change students are known to gonative in small provincial towns,adopting the ways of locals. Theylearn to eat dinner at 10 pm, wearscarves in 50-degree weather and eatmore seafood than they have con-sumed in their lifetime. And whereelse do older people and cute tod-dlers mix on city streets at 2 am?

Spain is a country of individual-ists, says author John Hooper in TheNew Spaniards. But the reference isnot to an American brand of ruggedindividualism. Instead, the Spanishbrand consists of carefree algorithmsand a self-sufficient philosophy thatends seducing the foreigner. It is al-so a key conductor for creativity.People here break for mid-morn-ing meals, often lubricated with acool beer on tap. They are then sentpacking back to work full of newideas.

Only culture—art, music, film,fashion and fine cuisine—transcendstheir daily life. It is little wonder thatSpain has produced 20th centurymaverick painters like Salvador Dali,Joan Miro or Antoni Tapies. Film di-rectors like Pedro Almodovar orAlejandro Amenabar have grippedaudiences with their story lines. Forthe Sundance crowd, Isabel Coixetis the country’s talent at its most raw.In her latest work, Elegy(2008), Pene-lope Cruz is a student who awakenssexual possessiveness in her pro-

fessor, played by Ben Kingsley. Thescreenplay is based on a Philip Rothnovel.

In the realm of food, chefs like

Ferran Adria have put fine cuisineon its feet. In 2007, the head cookof El Bulli traveled to New York’sCulinary Institute of America witha sampler of his food foams. Eatinghas never been the same anymore.Jose Andres, the Asturian-born cookthat grew up in Barcelona, takesmolecular eating for a tour of Spain’s17 regional cuisines. His new TVprogram airs on PBS stations acrossthe country this spring.

Beyond the city eclectics of placeslike Barcelona or Madrid, Spain isuncharted territory for most U.S.visitors. Many can still find echoesof Hemingway, the Civil War cor-respondent, in a roadside hotelwhere he once holed up. Finding lit-erary echoes in this country of193,000 square miles (twice the sizeof Oregon) is not difficult.

Drive aimlessly north or south,depending on your temperament.

On the north Atlantic fringe, youwill enter the Celtic domains of Gali-cia and Asturias, with lush mountainsand Iron Age hillforts. Further eastare the Basques, a proud industriouspeople with possibly the most so-phisticated culinary societies on thecontinent. Bilbao, an erstwhile rust-belt city, now basks in the titaniumlight of the Guggenheim Museum,designed by Frank Gehry.

For contrast, head southwest toExtremadura. Bordering Portugal,this region of rolling plains and oakgroves serves as a stomping groundfor Iberico hogs, now imported toU.S. retailers like Whole Foods in theform of succulent hams. Ex-tremadura is also known in Europefor its cherries and almonds.

Finally, cut across the country dueeast and you will hit the Mediter-ranean port city of Valencia. Its 1.8million people perhaps best exem-plify the merger of art and life. Thisis Spain’s SME heartland, the just-in-time manufacturer and second-largest exporter in the country. Andyet, it is also home to the City ofArts and Sciences, a creation of San-tiago Calatrava, featuring operahouses, science exhibits and aquar-iums. Who could ask for more?

MADRID Page 2

THE CONSTANTLYMOVING CAPITAL AND

IDEAL EUROPEAN HQ

VALENCIA Page 5

‘SPORTY, NAUTICALAND LIGHT

ON ITS FEET’

EXTREMADURA Page 6

REBRANDING WITHSTYLE AND UNIVERSAL

ICT ACCESS

TECHNOLOGY Page 7

INNOVATION ANDENTERPRISE CREATE

TECHNOLOGY FOR LIFE

Thursday, February 28, 2008

SPAINThis supplement to USA TODAY was produced by United World LTD.: 4410 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington - DC 20016 - Tel: 1-202.347.9022 - Fax: 1-202.347.9025 - www.unitedworld-usa.com

Our World Insert is produced by United World. USA TODAY did not participate in its preparation and is not responsible for its content

Unstoppable SpainAA ddyynnaammiicc economy and an indomitable joy for life has created the perfectenvironment for twenty-first century global business conquistadors

Spain’s ambassador to theU.S. Carlos Westendorpoutlines the strong relationsbetween the two nations

In 1986, Carlos Westendorp be-came Spain’s first ambassador tothe EU. He was tasked with inte-grating the country into the poli-tics and economics of Brussels.After a brief stint as ambassadorto the UN, he left New York in1997 to serve as special envoy toBosnia-Herzegovina. In 2004,when the Socialists were votedback into office in Madrid, he wasappointed ambassador to Wash-ington.

How would you characterizeyour mission and main taskin Washington?

We’re putting a lotof emphasis on theHispanic community,although we also havea good working rela-tion with other com-munities. LatinAmerica is an asset forus. After all, Spain isthe second-largest in-vestor there after theU.S. and I think we can accom-plish a lot together. We have a veryactive cultural and educational pol-icy too.

My objective is to improveSpain’s economic presence. I’vebeen very lucky because Spanishfirms have suddenly realized theimportance of investing in the U.S.market. Once you have a networkof world-class firms, you becomemuch more influential. If you in-vest in specific states, you have ac-cess to governors, congressmenand mayors.

What does the average American knowabout Spain?

It depends who you ask. If it’ssomeone in Oklahoma, I am notsure the person will know whereSpain is. But on the coasts, peopleare familiar with the country andastonished at the level of growth.Spain is a very attractive countrywith an edge in fashion, balmyweather and excellent food. Amer-icans admire success and it’s al-ways a first step to getting involved.

What role have U.S. investors played in theSpanish takeoff of the last 15 years?

Spain has undergone an eco-nomic miracle. It could easily be

called the Iberian Tiger, just likeIreland is known as the Celtic Tiger.The country has been growing atan average yearly rate of 4 percent,which is double the EU average.Spain is now the eighth econom-ic power in the world and for thisreason alone it should be impor-tant to the U.S.

What are the competitive advantages for U.S.investors in Spain?

Spain is strategically located inthe Mediterranean and a naturalport of entry to the European mar-ket. Other important assets areour presence in Latin America andour influence in the Middle East,

in particular with Arabcountries. Our econo-my is booming, wehave a competitive reg-ulatory frameworkand our language is anadvantage because ofLatin America.

What about Spanish investorsin the U.S.?

In less than fouryears, Spain hasquadrupled its FDIhere. An important

factor has been the strength of theeuro. But the most important fac-tor is that large companies in Spainnow have money to invest. TheU.S. is a difficult market to pene-trate, but once you’re here com-panies are highly competitive.Investors are mainly from the fi-nancial sector, including BancoSantander and BBVA. Construc-tion companies are being award-ed public procurement projects,including one for urban furniturein New York. Then there is thefood industry, as well as high-techcompanies in renewable energy.

QUOTE/UNQUOTE

‘We are now theeighth economicpower in the world’

Few metrics can account for theSpanish makeover since 1986, whenit joined the European Communi-ty. By 1989, GDP had grown 4.8 per-cent annually and per capita incomehad leapt 4 percent. After decadesof unstoppable growth, income perperson climbed to 105 percent of theEuropean average in 2007. The in-dicator, by the European statisticaloffice, factors out inflationary dif-ferences between countries. But itis nevertheless a measure of how farthis country of 45 million haschanged. What next?

“We are now the eighth-largesteconomy in the world and we wantto make sure we stay there for a longtime,” says Joan Clos, the Ministerof Industry, Tourism & Commerce.A former mayor of Barcelona, Closis keenly aware of competitive strate-gies in sectors like tourism and re-newable energy. For him, Spain isabout to undergo a second com-petitive shock as the constructionsector ceases to drive economic ac-tivity. Construction companies arehowever bolstered by the servicesof the Seopan group, which high-lights the extensive experience andexpertise of its members to the in-ternational business community.

With real GDP growth of 2.8 per-cent in 2008, it is time for Spain tocapture technology in its total fac-tor productivity (TFP).

Policymakers are playing the roleof enablers these days. ICEX, Spain’strade promotion agency, has beenmatching investors with scientificparks and universities since 1983.The liaison has helped alter the

mindset of hundreds of SpanishSMEs, often unable to implementR&D schemes on their own. In theworld of biotech, the gamble is al-ready paying off. Last year, Zeltia, abio-pharmaceutical company basedin the northwestern region of Gali-cia, applied for FDA approval for adrug derived from marine organ-isms. Its R&D expenditure hadgrown to €36.7 million ($53.3 mil-lion) by 2004.

Spain’s financial system bears lit-tle resemblance to its former self.Banks have expanded into Europeand Latin America with the kind of

gusto that raises eyebrows at trad-ing floors. In 2004, Spain’s BancoSantander Central Hispano boughtthe UK’s Abbey Bank in Europe’slargest cross-country merger. Evenlesser banks are unrecognizable.“Twenty years ago, savings banksdidn’t have any industrial participa-tion and half of their assets were inpublic debt securities,” says JuanQuintas Seoane of the Spanish Con-federation of Savings Banks (CE-CA). Today, their net worth hasincreased 60 times and volume ofassets exceeds Spanish GDP.

Meanwhile, bilateral trade withthe U.S. now stands at $10 billion,up from $4 billion in 2004. Blue chipcompanies like Telefonica snappedup the Lycos Internet portal in 2000for $5.4 billion, selling it later toDaum Communications of SouthKorea. With the strength of the eu-ro, prêt-a-porter chains based inSpain are opening flagship stores inNew York. In Ohio, a subsidiary ofEndesa, a Spanish energy giant, isretro-fitting hydraulics factories toproduce rotor blades for wind tur-bines. In fashion, trendsetters likeZara have invented a new school ofmarketing. Part of the Inditex Group,Zara produces 10,000 designs per

year and has been described by aParis fashion director as ‘possiblythe most innovative and devastat-ing retailer in the world’.

For Gerardo Diaz Ferran, of theSpanish Federation of Entrepreneurs(CEOE), this is a unique time win-dow. A switchover to a technology-led export model is the way for Spainto stay ahead. On a visit to Cairo lastFebruary, Diaz asked Egyptian au-thorities to allow Spain to launch aseries of mega-projects across theMiddle East, including tourist in-frastructure and industrial engi-neering. “We have a lot to offer at agood price,” says Clos, also part ofthe trade delegation in Cairo.

All said and done, Spain is also asocial and artistic innovator. Issueslike gay marriage, embryonic stemcell research and gender parity inpolitics are a few of the character-istics of the new Spaniards. Whilestar architects like Santiago Cala-trava work on skyscraper designsin Chicago, actors like Javier Bar-dem have walked off with this year’sGolden Globe Award for Holly-wood’s latest hit, No Country forOld Men. The title of the moviecould very well apply to the new andunstoppable Spain.

CARLOS WESTENDORPSpanish Ambassador tothe United States

Pedro Almodovar Ferran Adria Antoni Tapies Fernando Alonso

A more extensive version of this report is

available at www.unitedworld-usa.com

UNITED WORLD PROJECTTEAM IN SPAIN

Project Director: Elisa L. Moriarty Editorial Research:

Miguel Artacho, Ignacio Giavi and Carlos Duez

Logistics Coordination: Begoña Blanco

Sectorial photos by Kristin Kjellgard

The nation’s expanding horizons have brought about the award-winning Terminal 4 at Madrid’s Barajas airport.

CULTURE VULTURES FLY HIGH

Everything is art

Penelope Cruz Pau Gasol Rafael Nadal Antonio Banderas

BILATERAL TRADE WITHTHE U.S. NOW STANDSAT $10 BILLION ANDSPANISH COMPANIESARE SETTING TRENDSWITH INNOVATION

Javier Bardemplays AntonChigurh in theCoen brothers’No Country ForOld Men

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Invest in Madrid, get a return on lifeMMaaddrriidd.. The Spanish capital couples a laid-back lifestyle with a fast-paced approach to development and growth

In Madrid, a brilliantblue sky presides reg-ularly over unimagin-ably sunny days. It's a

city whose population proudlyclaims to “work to live, not live towork,” where grandmothers, youngchildren and businesspeople alikestretch out their weeknights withlong walks and tapas late into theevenings.

The laid back atmosphere iscomfortably contrasted, however,with a sense that the city is in thethroes of fast-paced development.The many building sites, the heav-ing traffic and constant movementof people present throughout themetropolis, clearly tell any visitorthat Madrid is a city where thingsare happening.

Thanks to stronghistorical links with theAmerican continentMadrid is the Euro-pean epicenter for cul-tural and business tieswith Central and LatinAmerica. However, inthe U.S., Madrid is on-ly just beginning tomake its mark.

“Madrid is viewed asa business city in bothEurope as well as LatinAmerica. In the U.S., however, thereis barely any image of Madrid as abusiness sector and as an attractivesite for foreign investment,” saysJesús Sáinz-Muñoz, Chairman ofPromoMadrid, the leading gov-ernment agency charged with de-veloping Madrid’s image andattracting international investmentto the capital.

While Sáinz Muñoz agrees thatmore work needs to be done to in-crease Madrid’s profile in the Unit-ed States, he is quick to mentionthat positives also exist. “Our im-age is neither positive or negative,so our work is to develop the cor-rect and desired positioningabroad,” he says.

Evidently, directly facing up tojuggernaut competition from Asiaand Eastern Europen, where mostforeign investment focuses on pro-jects with intensive manpower andlow added value was not an op-tion. Instead, Sáinz Muñoz admitsthat the main issue was finding theright angle to promote.

By using Madrid’s infrastructure,

social environment, and readilyavailable and skilled manpower toattract foreign investment inknowledge-based industries,Madrid is finding the angle it needsto shine.

With rapid developments in-sectors such as research and de-velopment,renewable energies,information technology, financeand international arbitration ser-vices, and even the aeronautics andaerospace industries, branding aregion with such great potential tointernational investors has madePromoMadrid’s job significantlyeasier.

In 2007 alone, major U.S. firmssuch as asset management firmAmerican Capital Strategies Ltd,

design consultancyXPLANE, and MDAnderson Houstonfollowed giants Googleand IBM, by taking thefirst steps towards en-tering the Europeanmarket through settingup their Europeanheadquarters inMadrid.

Further internation-al awareness of Madridcomes through IFEMA,the city's 1.3 million

square meters of trade fair space.General Director, Fermín Lucas,says that through hosting over 70trade fairs annually, IFEMA aimsto create added value. "Throughour fairs, we cover 320 economicsubsectors, making us the leadingforum for European and global eco-nomic activities," he comments.

The final ingredient in theMadrid brand is its lifestyle. In theface of other more overcrowdedand colder European cities, Madridoffers a different approach to thework-life balance.

Things are changing, then. Withits diverse and growing economy,its proximity to the rest of Europeand a unique lifestyle, foreignersare flocking to invest in Madrid'sbusiness and lifestyle in droves.

Madrid moves rapidly, both in generating economic development and after work entertainment, and its image as a desirable place for business is now making inroads in the U.S.

JESUS SAINZ MUÑOZChairmanPromoMadrid

The Spanish capital is makinga serious bid to become aleading destination for thesettling of disputes throughinternational arbitration

Right now, as you read this,Madrid’s “Campus of Justice” isunder construction in the north-ern outskirts of the city. Set to be-come Europe’s biggest judicialcomplex, the project aims to cen-tralize the city’s 18 legal centersthat are currently scatteredthroughout Madrid.

Slated for completion in 2010,the campus has already attract-ed international interest, bothfor its immensity and design.Furthermore, as part of the cam-pus shall be devoted to the han-dling of arbitration matters, theproject is also adding signifi-cantly to Madrid’s reputation asa leading center for internationalarbitration.

In today’s globalized world,where over 70 percent of busi-nesses express preference for solv-ing international commercialdisputes through international ar-bitration, this means that Madridis laying down the groundwork

to take another large part of theworld’s economic and legal pie.

While a difficult market tocrack, with only a few world citiesmeeting all requirements, Madridis quite comfortably taking its seataround the international arbitra-tion table with cities like Paris,London and Geneva.

The reason? First, Spain’s 2006international arbitration lawwhich, as well as being approvedin Parliament unanimously, isone of the most if not the mostarbitration friendly statutes inthe world.

Also, Spanish Courts havevoiced their support for interna-tional arbitration. Four commer-cial arbitration courts currentlyoperate, three of them in con-junction with Madrid’s Chamberof Commerce, and they are es-sential institutions in ensuringthere is no undue interference inthe arbitration process.

Finally, just like with all oth-er business transactions,Madrid’s historical, political andeconomic ties with Latin Amer-ica, North Africa and the rest ofEurope will also help to attractfurther cases.

JUSTICE

Vying for the frontseat in arbitration

Located 2.5 hours northwest ofMadrid, historical Salamancaproduces some of thecountry’s best cured meats.Now, local company MRS isplanning to bring a little bit ofSalamanca to the good oleU.S. of A.

This year some of the best Sala-mancan ham will be arriving in theU.S. for the first time. MRS, thegroup behind Jamón Salamanca,intends to begin exporting the del-icacy that has had Spaniards swoon-ing for centuries by mid-2008.

Americans are in fora treat. For those unfa-miliar with this Spanishspecialty, Iberian hamis a salted and curedmeat most often servedin long, thinly-shavedleg cuts. Similar toItaly’s prosciutto, Iber-ian ham is perfectly ac-companied by red wineand sharp cheese,which in Spain is tradi-tionally Manchegocheese.

Jamón Salamanca,which is already exporting toJapan, China, Germany and Brazil,boasts Europe’s largest Iberianham facilities, spread over fiveranches in Salamanca, a regionrevered by Spaniards for the ex-cellence of its cured meats andsausages. The company’s rigorousquality control process, applied toall aspects of production from theraising of the animal to the finalproduct, is pioneering in Spain,and undoubtedly one of the rea-sons Jamón Salamanca has beenapproved for export to the U.S.ISO 9001:2000 and 14001:2004certified, Jamón Salamanca cur-rently processes 60,000 animals

per year, a figure it is intent ondoubling in the near future.

“Our successful recipe is basedon obtaining quality Iberian ham,”states MRS honorary chairman andgroup founder Mariano RodriguezSanchez. “In order to do so, we takeinto account and monitor manyfactors, including genetic line, feedand a perfect salting and curingprocess.”

One of Salamanca’s leading com-panies, MRS Group initially be-gan its activities in 1976 withPavimento Asfálticos Salamanca,now one of Spain’s top civil con-

struction firms with anannual turnover of €60million ($87 million).

By 1982, MRS hade s t a b l i s h e dAgropecuaria Turra,later to become JamónSalamanca. Between1988 and 1994, thegroup expanded itsconstruction arm withthe creation of Edi-maro and Tecnologíade Construcción Las-torres, the latter ofwhich was its first ven-

ture into cement production. Thatsame year, it founded ProyectosEditoriales Salamanca, a publish-ing firm that now produces anaward-winning local daily news-paper, expanding this line withgraphic design firm Castellana deArtes Gráficas in 2003, todayknown as Integral Press.

From the late 90s, however,MRS’s main diversification tookplace in hotel and resort develop-ment. MRS Real Estate is the namebehind Salamanca Forum Resortand the Hotel Doña Brígida GolfSpa, a four-star hotel with confer-ence rooms, congress hall, spa and18-hole golf course.

MRS

Salamanca’s famedham heading to U.S.

MARIANO RODRIGUEZSANCHEZHonorary Chairman andFounder of MRS

Madrid Major events in 2008■ The celebration of international events is a major part of PromoMadrid’s strategy.High-profile events are welcomed to the Spanish capital, where world-class conferencefacilities are matched by a unique lifestyle, making organizing and attending an event aperfect mix of business and pleasure.Major conferences coming to Madrid in 2008 include:

May 3rd to 6th Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting www.adb.org

June 18th to 20th Annual EVCA Symposium www.evca.com

June 29th to July 3rd 9th World Petroleum Congress www.19wpc.com

A madrileñocontemplatesMadrid’schanginglandscape atPlaza de Castilla,to the north ofthe city

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SPAIN

Spaniards have long treasuredtheir gastronomic delights and,at long last, these are makingtheir way into mainstreamAmerican kitchens

While Spanish corporations aremaking great global strides in sec-tors like banking, telephony, con-struction and apparel, othercompanies are slowly but steadi-ly adding quality and flair to an im-portant part of U.S. consumers’everyday lives: food and drink.However, what many people areunaware of is the origin of the fan-tastic wine they tried in that chicbar downtown, or of that heav-enly olive oil served with theirbread in the bistro down the road.

In 1999, 17 Iberian companiesfounded the Leading Brands ofSpain Forum (LBSF) in order tobetter position Spanish brandsabroad. The LBSF now has 75members , all of which have passedthe highly selective entrance re-quirements set by its founders,who were aware that their prod-ucts had to be able to compete

with those of coun-tries with greaterbrand awareness.Miguel Otero, Gen-eral Director of LBSF,comments, “Spanishproducts and servicesmust offer greater val-ue and clear utility toour foreign cus-tomers.” While Span-ish products may stillnot be quite as wellknown as those ofneighboring France or Italy, thesituation is definitely improving.“We are beginning to stand out.Spain is being discovered,” he adds.

These days, Spanish celebritiesare acting as efficient ambassadorsfor Spanish culture and products.Few today are unfamiliar withPenelope Cruz, Pablo Picasso,Joaquin Cortes and Pedro Almod-ovar. Food buffs will also be wellversed in the recipes of FerranAdria (who lent his voice to a char-acter in Disney Pixar’s ‘Rata-touille’), Karlos Arguiñano, JoseAndres and Sergi Arola. But, what

about the brand namesfor such things as wine,olive oil, cheese andham? These are nowdeservedly makingtheir way into the lime-light, not only ingourmet delicatessensand trendy bars but al-so in local supermar-kets. Thanks to the‘Denominación deOrigen’, or Guaranteeof Origin, labels, con-

sumers know they are buying ahigh quality product from one ofSpain’s finest producers of wine,cheese, meat and even saffron.

Most people associate olive oilwith Italy but even the most cur-sory glance at a list of worldwideolive producers is enough to seethat Spain supplies more thanhalf of the world’s olives and oliveoil, far ahead of Greece andFrance, the nearest contenders.As for cheese, Spain has approx-imately 100 different varieties –the most famous of which isManchego, a rich and zesty ma-

ture cheese made from sheep’smilk – and many are already avail-able in the gourmet section ofmost grocery stores.

For the past few years, Spanishwines have been garnering inter-national awards, but one of thegreatest strides for the industrywas made just a month ago whenthe U.S. magazine Wine Enthusi-ast named La Rioja the “World’sBest Wine Growing Region”, cat-apulting not only the region but theentire country into prominence.Torres (wines and brandies) andFreixenet (cava) are just two ex-amples of brands from other re-gions that are fast becominghousehold names in the U.S.

Iberian ham, Spain’s singular-ly favorite foodstuff and often de-scribed as “melt-in-the-mouthmeat”, comes from free-rangeacorn-fed pigs and is finally be-ing imported after years of an-ticipation. Currently, Iberian hamexported to the U.S. comes fromSalamanca, a town that has beennamed a UNESCO World Her-itage Site and which is famousfor its university, architecture andhistory. This region prides itselfon being the cradle of true Castil-ian Spanish as well as the homeof the finest ham in the country.“We have developed a powerfulindustry around our porcinebreeding. Our culinary traditionsalong with the fact that we haveone of Europe’s oldest universi-

ties create a unique cul-tural legacy. We attract

students and gourmetsfrom all over the

globe,” observes Ju-lian Lanzarote,Mayor of Salaman-ca, adding, “the onething I never tire ofeating is Salaman-ca ham.”

FINE IBERIAN CUISINE

Gastronomy with gusto in the U.S.

Leading food productscompany Campofrio has along history of collaborationwith U.S. companies. Its newagreement with Wal-Mart willnow bring it a little closer tothe American public

Leading Spanish processed meatsproducer, Campofrio Alimentacion– of which U.S.-based SmithfieldFoods, the largest processed meatsand pork products company in theworld, owns 23 percent – has signedan agreement withWal-Mart to sell curedham in select stores onthe east coast of the U.S.The agreement is ex-pected to more thantriple Campofrio’s salesof Serrano and Iberianham in the U.S. toroughly €15 million($21.8 million) this year– just 1.4 percent of thecompany’s total annu-al global sales.

The agreement with Wal-Martsignals Campofrio’s move into theU.S. market in a big way after aresidual presence of its cured hamproducts in American specialtyshops over the past four years. Italso forms part of a general trendof international expansion fromSpanish food products companiesin recent years to new markets likethe U.S., the EU, Latin Americaand China.

Luckily for Americans, it also re-flects the even more recent trendof Spanish companies securingwider entrance to the U.S. marketfor Spain’s renowned cured hams.

Indeed, Campofrio was the firstSpanish company to export curedham to the U.S., where it has led

the market. In 2005, the companyrepresented 29 percent of Spanishcured meat sales in the U.S. underits brand names of Campofrio,Navidul and Revilla. With threeproduction facilities already ap-proved by U.S. officials for curedham export, Campofrio is nowworking to have a fourth approvedin Spain this year.

“We have had a presence in theU.S. since 1978 when we formed ajoint venture with Beatrice Foods,”says Chairman Pedro Ballve. “Ba-

sically, in the years sincewe went international,we have always had astrategic alliance withan American compa-ny. First it was Beatrice,then Horner and nowSmithfield Foods. Wehave always felt that this‘umbilical cord’ with theU.S. was importantsince it is one of themost advanced and in-novative markets in the

world in terms of consumptionand trends.”

Incorporated in Burgos in 1952,Campofrio Alimentacion is Spain’slargest processed meats producer.Acknowledging that the Mediter-ranean diet is a beacon for nutri-tionists and chefs worldwide, thecompany has adopted a healthyliving philosophy, offering con-sumers products that fulfil the nu-tritional needs of varying lifestyles.

In addition to cured ham, itsproducts include sausages, frank-furts, cooked hams, cold meats andpoultry lines. Today, the companyhas a presence in three continents,with production facilities in sixcountries and sales in more than40 countries across the globe.

CAMPOFRIO

A taste of Spain at Wal-Mart

PEDRO BALLVE,Chairman of Campofrio

Sergi Arola is one of Spain’s newfavorite chefs and winner of twoMichelin stars. Shown below: atypical Arola masterpiece –putting a spin on traditionalpatatas bravas (fried potatoeswith a spicy tabasco sauce) thathas food lovers swooning andgourmets enthralled.

MIGUEL OTERO,General Director of LBSF


Larrosa Pique: A plan called ‘Hor-izonte 2020’ will give top priority tourban landscape renewal and beau-tification. We must make a specialeffort in urban centers where thereis a high concentration of culturaland historical options. We are alsogoing to continue increasing thenumber of direct flights to Madridand Barcelona.

Larrosa Pique: We aim to pro-ject the emotional values that in-terest U.S. citizens, and cuisine,wine, and authentic culture assumean extraordinary role. In addition,through Turespaña, we attracted200 professional events in 2007throughout Spain.

Larrosa Pique: Approximately€2.5 million have been invested inmarket and product studies. Thissector is constantly changing andwe need to be fully aware of the com-petitive environment we are in, andincrease our knowledge throughhigh-level research.

Mejia Gomez: Americantourism is very important to us.We’re focusing on the installa-tion of four and five-star hotels.It seems wise for Spain to pro-vide hotel infrastructures thatcenter on higher quality.

Mejia Gomez: We have touristswho go places that are not beach orresort areas, which the Spanish gov-ernment is anxious to encourage.The average expenditure of theAmerican tourist here is double thatof the average tourist from anywhereelse, and tourism is not concentrat-ed just during one or two summermonths; it’s non-seasonal.

Mejia Gomez: We are trying tomaintain a high level of collabora-tion with the private sector to pro-mote foreign tourism to Spain. Newtechnology allows us to satisfy anever-growing and sophisticated de-mand from a diversified public thatis still anxious to travel.



Spectacular Spain

Every country likes to claimthey’ve got the best of every-thing – best food, most beau-tiful landscape, most talentedpeople, most efficient cities –as a matter of national pride.However, could it be that, afterdecades of living in the tourismshadow of France and Italy,Spain has actually achieved allthis? Superlative success inevery category?

The American tourist hascome to realize that in Spain, youreally can have it all. Want mu-seums? Madrid’s got the Prado,a crown jewel of the art world.Fast, safe transportation? Thecutting-edge AVE train systemconnects every major city inSpain at lightning speed. Fantas-tic food? Chefs from all overSpain have taken Spanish cuisinefar beyond paella. Great weath-er? Check. Spain has even dom-inated the sports and cinemaarenas recently, with names likeRafael Nadal and Javier Bardemon the tip of everyone’s tongue.Americans have long come toEurope to enjoy its centuries-oldhistory and relaxed atmosphere,and have finally found that elu-sive combination of culture, funand sun in spectacular Spain.

The number of U.S. visitorsto Spain rose by 23 percent in2007, and Spain became thesecond-most visited country inthe world. “We have beenbreaking records with respectto the arrival of internationaltourists for the past three orfour years,” announced Spain’sSecretary of State for Tourism,Pedro Mejia Gomez. “The pres-ence of the United States has al-ways been relevant from thecommercial point of view, butalso from the investment pointof view, as it is our leading for-eign investor, and we feel it willcontinue to be.”

One of the main reasons forSpain’s emergence as a touristMecca is its fine-tuned balance

between the old and new. The18th-century Prado Museumjust received a modern addi-tion, adding 50 percent morespace to house its unrivalledcollection of paintings byRubens, Velazquez, and Goya.Bilbao is dominating the mod-ern art movement with its strik-

ing Guggenheim Museum, andthe newly completed Contem-porary Art Museum in Leonhas imitated its success. Mean-while, Barcelona’s Museu Na-cional d'Art de Catalunya isdrawing rave reviews not onlyfor its art, but also for Oleum,its in-house Mediterranean

restaurant offering sweepingviews of the city below.

Speaking of food, Spain’s finewines and delectable dishes willbe on display in Barcelona inMarch at Alimentaria, one ofthe most important food showsin Europe. Just across town, de-constructionist chef Ferran

Adria’s restaurant El Bulli is cel-ebrating being voted the bestrestaurant in the world byRestaurant Magazine for thesecond year running.

Though Barcelona andMadrid are the country’s largestand certainly most well-knownlocales, Spain has some of its

most breathtaking treasurestucked away in its smallertowns. Spain is home to 40 UN-ESCO World Heritage sites,such as the sandy beaches ofIbiza and the imposing Al-hambra castle in Granada. Astate-of-the-art train systemhas made it easy and affordableto reach all these scenic desti-nations. The Spanish govern-ment aims to upgrade 4,350miles of existing track to high-speed quality by 2010, makingall major cities reachable bytrain from Madrid within fourhours, and from Barcelonawithin six and a half hours.

As Spain makes these ad-vancements in transportation,it is mindful of the current vi-tal, worldwide focus on the en-vironment. According to theKyoto Protocol, Spain intendsto reduce its greenhouse gasemissions by 15 percent be-tween 2008-2012. And that en-vironmental awareness is beingreinforced by the celebrationof Expo Zaragoza. Beginningin June, Zaragoza, Spain’s fifth-largest city, will host this inter-national exposition focusing onwater and sustainable develop-ment.

These multi-sector advancesare the product of years of hardwork to create the best vaca-tion experience possible.“Turespaña (the countr y ’stourism institute) has been afundamental element in thedevelopment of Spanishtourism,” Mejia Gomez says.“Over the years, the image ithas created of Spain has beenvery important, and it contin-ues to be important today.”This image – a portrait of theideal coexistence of old andnew; of both siestas andstreamlined technology – isthe reason that Spain will wel-come more than 60 million vis-itors this year with open armsand an open view of the future.

TToouurriissmm.. With more than 60 million visitors each year, Spain provides the best vacation experience possible, contrastingthe past, present and future

The curvaceous, free-form sculptural style of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbaohas become a reference point in architectural circles and a seductive backdrop for visitorsto view contemporary art.

Forget Roman holidays – Spain is now the European destinationattracting flocks of American tourists in search of that perfectcombination of culture, fun and sun. Tourism and CommerceSecretary of State Pedro Mejia Gomez and Felix Larrosa Pique, theformer director of Turespaña, the Spanish Tourism Institute, discusshow they’d like to foster this important partnership.

FOCUSING ON U.S. TOURISTS

An American in Iberia

What is the Spanish government doing to accommodate American tourists?

Pedro Mejia Gomez Felix Larrosa Pique

What is the profile of the average American traveler to Spain?

What is being done to get to know this growing U.S. market?

Amazing culture and history,great infrastructure, andabove all, great people. TheSpanish capital receivesvisitors with open arms andprovides them with a rangeof tourist activities, whatevertheir preference

Hemingway wrote about it.Almodovar captures it on film.While it may not be as immediatelybeautiful as some other Europeancities, Madrid has been singled outas one of the most culturally ex-traordinary and uniquely en-chanting places on the planet. TheSpanish capital boasts a diverseheritage, but according to Santia-go Fisas Ayxela, Regional Ministerof Culture and Tourism, what re-ally makes Madrid stand out is itspeople. “It is one of the most opencities imaginable, where peoplefrom anywhere in the world feel athome and are greeted with openarms,” Fisas Ayxela explains. “It wel-comes everyone, but also holds onto its very important traditions.”

In recent years, Madrid hasgrown to be one of the top desti-nations for both domestic and in-ternational tourists. The tourismsector contributes approximately10 percent to the regional GDP be-tween direct income and indirectemployment, creating more than150,000 jobs in the region. One ofthe key factors in bringing peopleto the region is Madrid Barajas air-port, a first-rate international hubwith connections to a number ofdestinations in the U.S. It is thelargest European airport in termsof area (a fourth international ter-minal was recently completed),and one of the most modern.

Fisas Ayxela explains thatMadrid’s cultural promotion ex-tends to students interested inlearning Spanish – as well as busi-ness travelers – through the IFE-

MA convention center, wheremost trade fairs are held. “If we addto all this Madrid’s top-class ho-tels, gastronomy, climate and thecharacter of Madrid’s people, theresult is a city that visitors returnto because they are so happy here.”

The numbers don’t lie: Madridreceived more than 9.3 million vis-itors in 2007. “We think thatMadrid is the gateway for U.S.tourists to visit Spain and the restof Europe,” Fisas Ayxela says, “Sincethey come from so far away, theytake advantage of the opportuni-ty to visit other nearby places.”

Madrid boasts eight fellowWorld Heritage cities located lessthan 150 miles from the city cen-ter, such as the medieval walledcity of Avila, and mountainousSegovia, which features impres-sive Roman aqueducts.

Madrid is currently carrying outa major investment program in in-frastructure, transportation andthe hospitality sector to strength-

en its bid to host the 2016 OlympicGames. “Hosting the OlympicGames can totally change the per-ception people have of a city,” FisasAyxela says, citing the success ofthe 1992 games in Barcelona.

One of Madrid’s leading advan-tages is its excellent connectionsto its sporting sites via the metrosubway system. This is a subjectthat Fisas Ayxela is particularlypassionate about, as he served asSecretary of State of Sport, FirstVice President of the 1992 Span-ish Olympic Committee, and wasan all-Europe golf champion. “Ibelieve it will be a very attractivecandidacy,” he adds.

“Madrid’s vitality makes it veryspecial and very different from anyother city; a young person lookingfor fun will find it any day of theweek, and older people lookingfor peace, excellent services andculture will find that as well,” con-cludes Fisas Ayxela. “Madrid is tru-ly a city that offers it all.”

A VISIT TO THE SPAIN’S CAPITAL CITY

Whatever your world is, you’ll find it in Madrid

SANTIAGO FISAS AYXELA, Regional Minister of Culture and Tourism




SPAIN

Known for its Falles, the effigy-burn-ing festival in March, the region of Va-lencia is an economic ball of fire. Thetempo here is determined by major

sporting events and crane activity at its inter-modalcargo terminals. Its capital, the port city of Valen-cia, hosted the America’s Cup in 2007. This year,five other races will showcase the region’s risk-tak-ing nature, including a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Mean-while, quietly churning out 10 percent of SpanishGDP is a dense cluster of SMEs.

“Valencia has become a global refer-ence point by hosting events that havean incredible media buzz. The 32ndAmerica’s Cup last year alone garnered€2.7 billion ($3.9 billion) and created80,000 jobs,” says Antonio Lis Darder,the General Director of Valencia Com-munity Investments (VCI), the region’sofficial trade promotion agency. Theorganizational know-how of local en-trepreneurs generates business syner-gies further down the stream. “We profitdoubly from investments,” says Lis.

Known as the Comunitat Valenciana,the balmy Mediterranean region is home to 420multinationals. A recent study shows that 80 per-cent of them gave regional authorities a ‘good’ or ‘verygood’ rating for the business environment. Seaportlogistics, transportation networks, institutional sup-port for R&D, and modern communications wereamong the reasons cited for satisfaction. Ford, thelargest U.S.-based investor, has announced €425million ($615.9 million) in capital outlays through2013. The carmaker has produced nearly nine mil-lion cars at its plant in Valencia since 1977. It exportsnearly 64 percent of its European production out ofthe seaport here.

Last year, Valencia’s total GDP grew to €95 bil-lion ($137.4 billion). In the third quarter of 2007,

the autonomous region received 58 percent ofSpain’s inflowing FDI, making it the largest percapita recipient in the country. “Foreign investmentin our region has increased nearly 1,000 percentin the past 12 years. It proves that we’re workingin the right direction,” says Lis. With €18.2 billion($26.3 billion) in manufactured exports, the re-gion is also a key player in international trade, de-veloping synergies with shipping lines in theNetherlands and industrial partners in Turkey.

But what makes Valencia so special? Accordingto Lis, it is a combination of strategicgeographic location, a no-nonsense ser-vices sector and excellent infrastructure.The Comunitat Valenciana enjoys amacroeconomic vision from the top andsells itself as the port of entry for man-ufacturing industries based in Madrid,often overtaking Barcelona in cost ef-fectiveness. “Investment is a multi-lev-el affair, with many factors and manydepartments. It involves business per-mits, incentives, city councils and re-gional ministries. Investors seek ease ofdoing business, as well as clarity in the

business framework,” says Lis.At the heart of Valencia’s breakneck pace is a

strong tradition in industry. For years, the regionwas known for its ceramics and cement works.Through innovation, it has moved up the valuechain into flooring systems, bio-fuel plants andcomponents for solar energy. The emerging au-diovisual sector is the latest to cluster around a mu-nicipal plan dubbed the City of Light. Lis hastraveled to Miami and Los Angeles to promotethe idea. He comments, “There are 700 companiesworking in this sector already. To take off, the au-diovisual industries will require professional ser-vices, craftsmen and hotel infrastructure, amongmany other things.”

Valencia, thekinetics of FDIOOffffeerriinngg an opportunity to invest and a great place to live,the region is catching the global commerce limelight

Valencia never rests and hasa stream of high-profilesporting events and majorexhibitions coming up

Designed by David ChipperfieldArchitects and Barcelona’s b720firm, the white-cubed America’sCup building in Valencia wasamong only seven projects world-wide to be short-listed by the Roy-al Academy of British Architects(RIBA) in the nominations forthe prestigious 2007 StirlingPrize. On the RIBA website, thestructure is described as“sporty, nautical and light onits feet”— all qualifiers thateasily apply to Valencia’s zealfor modernity.

Built as a logistics centerfor sporting events, thefour-story structureopened in May 2006. Itsfirst duties were as cen-tral command for teamsand sponsors participat-ing in the America’sCup, which took placein Europe for the firsttime in 150 years.Known here as Velese Vents (sails andwind), the structurehas already earnedicon status. Locat-ed at the heart ofthe city’s in-dustrial port,it consists ofthree trays ofstacked whiteconcrete with

playful shifts of scale. It is highlyformal, and yet free of constraints.

Like the city itself, the buildingserves a function first, but lays

bare an uninhibited senseof fun. For Antonio Lis

Darder, the head of Va-lencia’s trade promotion

agency VCI, mediaevents like the

America’s Cuphave helped place

the city on theglobal invest-

ment map.

Today, Valencia competes forlucrative contracts with other in-dustrial ports such as Antwerpand Marseille. “Sporting eventshave proven our strengths andour know-how,” says Lis.

For 2008, Lis highlights the Vol-vo Ocean Race, the World Mo-torcycle Grand Prix, the worldindoor track and field competi-tion, and the European Formula1 Grand Prix as the city’s majorsporting events.

By the time 2009 rolls around,Valencia will again host the Amer-ica’s Cup after the success of last

year’s competition. In the meantime, visitors

should not miss the landmarkexhibits on climate change

and spy science at the Cityof Arts and Sciences, a

spectacular museumcomplex designed byrenowned architect San-tiago Calatrava.

MAKING WAVES

A lively city that is ‘sporty,nautical and light on its feet’

ANTONIO LIS DARDERGeneral Director of VCI

After raising itsinternational profile bysuccessfully hosting the

32nd America’s Cuplast year, the cityfinalized plans to

stretch out to the seawith a new marina that

will transform thecoastline and form a

link between the portand the city with 1.3

million square metersof leisure, business and

sporting facilities.

Reflecting a zest for modernity, the striking form of Valencias’s City of Arts and Sciences was designed by noted Spanish architectSantiago Calatrava and heralds in a new era for the region as it uses innovation and infrastructure to forge international synergies.




Nature, discoveries, your compass, monuments, new memories, friendship, meetings, gastronomy, taste, feasts, love, a flower...

ExtremaduraTime for things for which we live.

...there is a place where you can live and imagine these things.

www.cosasporlasquevivimos.comwww.marcaextremadura.es

The perfect balance between a richpast and an avant-garde futureOOnnccee aann important Roman center andbirthplace of Spain’s conquistadors,Extremadura is about to embark on anew era in its history

The Lusitania bridge over the Guadiana river in the Extremaduran capital city of Merida. The bridge was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, who is currentlydesigning the World Trade Center Transportation Hub station for Ground Zero in New York City.

“Extremadura is un-dertaking a new formof economy today,while making efforts

to reinforce its traditional economyat the same time,” states President ofthe Regional Government Guiller-mo Fernandez Vara. “The new econ-omy is related to new technologies,and leading companies in the sec-tor like IBM and Indra have alreadyset up their software production fa-cilities here. Our goal is not to aban-don what we have always been butalso to project ourselves towardswhat we have to be inthis new day and age.”

This approach to theeconomy by the region-al government reflectsin essence the same mes-sage it is now promotingof Extremadura itself –that of a land in whichtown and countryside,progress, while tradition,past and future blendseamlessly, creating anenviron where innova-tion thrives but wherethere is still time to enjoy the simplethings in life.

In many ways, this Spanish au-tonomous community, historicallythe country’s poorest region, hasbenefited by being largely overlookedby the industrial revolution. Wedgedbetween Portugal and the centralplains of La Mancha, Extremadurais also far removed from Spain’scrowded coasts, and hence, its masstourism. Consequently, it remainsunspoilt. Boasting a wealth of WorldHeritage Sites and protected naturereserves, the region has managed toretain the beauty of its countrysideand preserve its rich history and cul-ture albeit often at the expense of eco-nomic progress.

This sacrifice will no longer benecessary, says the regional gov-ernment. In fact, Extremadura’seconomy has lately been registeringhigher growth than the national av-erage, which in turn is higher thanthe European average. Moreover,thanks to a visionary ICT strategylaunched at the end of the nineties,Extremadura is fully integrated in theinformation era.

Unemployment levels are on thedecline and per capita income is on therise. To harness this momentum, thegovernment is focusing on value added

production, technologyand attracting new com-panies to the area, key towhich is a strong infra-structure backbone.

A high-speed train be-tween Madrid and Lis-bon that will run throughthe region will be com-pleted in 2010, and a newhighway linking Ex-tremadura’s two largestcities, Badajoz andCáceres, is slated for 2013.

“Extremadura was be-fore considered the ‘periphery of theperiphery’ but the EU has extendedits borders and we are no longer atthe ‘end’ of anything but rather at the‘beginning’ of something. We havegone from the periphery to the cen-ter,” Fernandez observes.

If strong infrastructure, lower op-erating costs and a growing econo-my are not enough to lure those newcompanies in, however, maybe theyshould consider this: “We may not beleaders in GDP but we are in humanrelations, in the things which are in-deed priceless, in our natural envi-ronment and the possibility of being‘different’. If you truly want to enjoylife, come to Extremadura,” concludesthe region’s president.

GUILLERMO FERNANDEZVARA, President of theJunta de Extremadura

A trendy new magazine and globalsatellite coverage are just two of thenew initiatives from the regionalgovernment’s Marca Extremaduraproject that is showing the region itselfjust how much it has to offer

In 2005, the government of Extremadura com-missioned a study that confirmed their suspi-cions – the region was poorly known evenwithin Spain. Furthermore, this was the mainreason behind an entrenched image that theregion had been unable to shake – that of thepoor, dusty outback – and one that by no meanswas an accurate reflection of this western au-tonomous community today. From this, the re-gional government’s Marca Extremadura(Extremadura Brand) project was born.

Launched in the spring of 2006 as a publiccompany, Marca Extremadura was describedby its director Pedro Ariño as a comprehen-sive campaign that was neither a new shot atadvertising or public relations nor a new tourismor cultural promotion, but rather an umbrel-

la under which all of these and other initiativeswere grouped, with the ultimate aim of repo-sitioning the region in the global context.

“What this is about,” he declared at the launch,“is that when somebody reads the word Ex-tremadura or sees the Marca Extremadura lo-go, they immediately associate it with quality.And everything falls under this, from the ser-vice provided by a hotel waiter in Badajoz to

the Extremaduran lamb displayed in a butch-er’s shop in Madrid and the clothing madehere and sold in a store in Barcelona .”

Marca Extremadura’s creators based the phi-losophy behind the project on the transfer ofvalue. Interestingly, they saw that it was firstnecessary for Extremadurans to see the valuethat existed in themselves and their region, Mar-ca Extremadura’s most important products.

“Extremadura has progressed significantlyin recent years, and Extremadurans have everyreason to expect a prosperous future. But theythemselves must believe in it and put their willbehind it,” said Ariño.

The government spent €5 million ($7.3 mil-lion) on the project last year. This year, that fig-ure is expected to top €20 million. So far, theproject has spawned a satellite TV channeldedicated to the region, its own magazine, alogo to serve as a seal of quality, a food prod-uct range and a new national campaign enti-tled ‘Time for the things we live for’ thatpromotes an image of Extremadura as the per-fect combination of modernity and tradition.

Extremadura has blazed newpaths, enabling universalaccess to IT infrastructuresand services, whilepromoting digital literacy foreveryone, both in urban andrural areas

In developing economies roundthe world the call for the creationof a knowledge-based society canbe heard, and Extremadura hasbeen no different. It is, however,the region’s unique approach tobringing this about that has dis-tinguished it and con-verted it into a casestudy worldwide. Withlimited resources, it hasbecome over the last tenyears a high-tech, Mi-crosoft-free zone.

This achievementwas hailed by the Ottawa Citi-zen in 2004 as “an upbeat de-velopment for the downtrodden”.It won Extremadura one of Brus-sels’ European Regional Inno-vation Awards that same year,and a mention in the Washing-ton Post two years earlier. In thesummer of 2006, regional offi-cials were invited to speak ontheir experiences in the United

Nations’ joint UNCTAD andUNITAR Symposium on ICTPolicy Issues for Development.

How did Extremadura pull thisoff? It all began with a new ICTstrategy in 1997 based on freeand open source software (soft-ware that can be freely copied,modified and re-distributed byits users.)

Extremadura adopted Linux,developed by Linus Torvalds, asthe official operating system forits offices and schools, thus mark-ing the first time that a European

public school systemswitched to an opensource. Extremaduracalled its adapted ver-sion of the softwareLinEx.

Over the next fiveyears, the regional gov-

ernment burned 150,000 copies ofthe operating system, which weresent to the region’s 670 schoolsand distributed to the publicthrough inserts in local newspa-pers. LinEx was installed in 32tech centers, where citizens weretrained in its use free of charge. Aregional intranet was created thatconnected 1,500 public offices andschools – another European first.The region’s 15,000 teachers weretrained and instructed to incor-porate computer use in the class-room, and a center was created todevelop customized accountingsoftware, and hospital and agri-cultural applications. In Ex-tremadura today, universal accessto the digital world is a reality,and the Extremadura model is

acknowledged round the globeas an overwhelming success.

MARCA EXTREMADURA

Extremadurans bring it forward

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE WINS INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM

LinEx a triumph fortechno-socialistsand capitalists alike

Extremaduran pop singer, Bebe, graced the cover of theseventh edition of the magazine Image of Extremadura.

Jose Zayani of theExtremaduran bar El Miajón Castúos in Madrid cutting

slices of the region’s famous

Iberian ham for customers

ExtremaduraWorld Heritage Sites

Old town of Cáceres■ The city’s history is reflected in itsarchitecture, which holds a rich heritageof Roman, Islamic, Northern Gothic andItalian Renaissance monuments. Fromthe Muslim period, the Torre del Bujaco,shown above, is the most famous.

Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida■ The colony of Augusta Emerita,today known as Merida, was the capitalof the Roman Lusitania and consideredone of the most important cities duringthe Roman Empire. It gathers numerouswell-preserved remains of the old city,including this Roman theater.

Royal Monastery of SantaMaria de Guadalupe■ The monastery is an outstandingrepository of four centuries ofSpanish religious architecture. Itembodies two significant events thatoccurred in 1942: the Reconquest ofthe Iberian peninsula by the CatholicKings and Christopher Columbus’arrival in the Americas. The statue ofthe Virgin Mary located inside thebuilding symbolizes theChristianization of the New World.


A decade ago, whenpharmaceutical companyZeltia decided to searchthe seafloor for newsources of agents, manywere skeptical

Thanks to institutional supportand dogged resolution, Zeltia

began finding marine com-pounds, soon becoming a

star performer on theMadrid stock exchange.

Private investment inbiomedical research inSpain grew 32 percentin 2007, and according totrade promotion agency

ICEX, the domestic bio-medical industry has ex-

panded by 350 percentsince 2003. More than 270

public institutions are current-ly involved in R&D, with 92,500professionals working in the labsand contributing to science jour-nals. More than 2,000 Spanishstudents are awarded PhDs inbiotechnology each year.

The growth reflects new ap-proaches to industrial develop-ment by the country’s regionalgovernments, as well as Spain’sexcellent medical infrastructure.For example, the Basque Coun-try, with its long engineeringtradition, has now established astrong presence in the field ofbio-robotics. In Madrid, scienceparks have been adept at chan-

neling money from financialmarkets to bio-incubators.Barcelona, which has a well-es-tablished pharmaceuticals sec-tor, opened a stunningwaterfront center in May 2006for research into gene regula-tion and cell biology. It is also thefirst domestic lab to experimentwith embryonic stem cells.

For Zeltia, all this growingcompetition is good news. By2007, the company had obtaineda credit line of €50 million ($73million) from lenders such asthe European Investment Bank.

Listed on the Spanish stockexchange since 1998, its finan-cial assets had grown to €67 mil-lion ($98 million) by mid-2007.

Meanwhile, the European Com-mission has recently ratified thecancer-fighting compoundknown as Yondelis, developedby Zeltia subsidiary Pharma-Mar.

In 2008, Zeltia will apply tolaunch Yondelis in the UnitedStates. The Food and Drug Ad-ministration has already desig-nated its use for the treatmentof soft-tissue sarcoma.

Far from the clichés of summerlanguor, few countries can com-pete with the image makeover ofSpain. Like statisticians who ap-ply math to new disciplines,Spain has applied technology totraditional sectors of the econo-my. Touted as an innovator inagribusiness in the 1980s, todayits talent pool includes fashionsupply chains, desalinationplants, biotech firms and re-newable energy. ICEX, the ex-port promotion agency, deservesmuch of the credit for drivingglobalization home. Its slogan?Technology for Life.

“We wanted to transmit theidea of a dynamic country with apassion for what it does. Our cam-paign highlights Spanish tech-nology as well-made and durable,”says ICEX Vice President AngelMartin Acebes.

As examples, he points to greenengineering firms exportingknow-how to distant markets.Gamesa, a wind turbine expert,now runs assembly plants for gen-erator blades in Pennsylvania.Acebes also mentions air trafficcontrol systems designed in Spain,allowing one out of three airplanesto take off worldwide.

“Our activities are very diverse.We support Spanish companiesand provide assistance at morethan 350 international fairs. Wealso contribute to the training ofinternational personnel, withmore than 600 interns,” saysAcebes. ICEX runs a network of95 offices abroad, including LosAngeles, Chicago, Miami, NewYork and Washington DC. Theagency has endowed hundreds oflocal SMEs with global trade cre-dentials, including exporters ofiberico ham and organic olive oil.The goal is to match productswith new markets, but also to al-ter the country’s perceptionabroad.

Acebes believes strongly inSpain’s particular blend of scienceand tradition. The magical mixhas driven a growing number ofAmericans to discover Spanishculinary arts, too long in the shad-



SPAIN

Technology for lifeAA ccoommbbiinnaattiioonn of institutional support coupled with a dynamic, imaginativeprivate sector is making Spanish goods appreciated all over the world

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Deep-seapharmaceuticals

RENEWABLE ENERGY

The turn of natural ingenuityThe last ten years have seenSpanish companies establish aleading role in developingalternative energy sources

With few natural energy resourcesof its own, Spain has had to investin ingenuity to solve its powerquandaries. In the Iberian Penin-sula, water and wind power dateback to pre-Roman times. Someof the first metalworking forgesof the Celtic northwest were pow-ered by hydraulic engineering.

Meanwhile, the windmills thatappear in Don Quixote were op-erational well before the 17th cen-tury. Today, Spanish-basedcompanies like Acciona Energy,Endesa and Abengoa are re-ex-porting their savvy worldwide.

Like the British Isles, the Unit-ed States has yet to begin realiz-ing the potential of renewableenergy. In 2007, U.S. wind gener-ation capacity grew by 45 percent,a market advantage tapped by Eu-ropean technology outfits. By 2020,

up to 15 percent of total energy de-mand in the EU will be suppliedby renewable sources. Wind is bigbusiness in Spain and Germany,where the industry has optimizedits proprietary technology. TheAWP 1.5-77 model designed byAcciona Energy has an output of1.5 megawatts and can meet de-mand from 4,500 homes.

In January, Acciona launchedits first wind turbine generatorplant in Iowa. After injecting $23

million into a former Sauer-Dan-foss factory, the company will be-gin assembling 250 wind turbinesper year. The Iowa facility will cre-ate 1,300 jobs by 2010, accordingto company officials. It is a segueto the company’s installation of a180-megawatt wind farm on theborder between North and SouthDakota last year, as well as the 64-megawatt solar thermal plant inNevada. Acciona is currently de-veloping a more advanced threemegawatt wind turbine.

But Spanish renewable compa-nies are not only about harvest-ing wind. Utility Endesa hasdiversified into gas-fired turbinesand is buying up hydrocarbon re-serves in Mexico and Venezuela.

Abengoa, the Seville-based in-novator in sustainable develop-ment, has broadened its ownactivities to include biomass re-sources. It is also one of the world’sinnovators in extracting powerfrom waste products, giving a fur-ther twist to Spanish ingenuity.

Cutting-edgehigh-speedAVE trainsrapidlyconnectMadrid withan expandingnumber ofother Spanishcities,includingBarcelona andSeville.

PharmaMar, a leading biopharmaceutical company of the Zeltia Group, searches the seabed for new compounds which are then tested for their ability to combat tumor growth.

The geography and climate of Spainmake it perfect for wind generation.

WITH ITS SIZEABLE LATINOPOPULATION, THE UNITEDSTATES HAS SUDDENLYBECOME A PRIME TARGETFOR SPANISH RETAILCHAINS LIKE ZARA ORMANGO

PRIVATE INVESTMENT INBIOMEDICAL RESEARCHGREW BY 32% IN 2007AND THE INDUSTRY HASGROWN THREEFOLDSINCE 2003

to readapt varietals tonew consumer tastes.

Culture is anotherICEX vehicle penetrat-ing U.S. markets.Acebes programmedcultural events inAmerican citiesthroughout 2007 to fa-cilitate exports of Span-ish books and music.

With its sizeableLatino population, theU.S. is suddenly a

prime target for Spanish retailchains. And because fashion is al-so culture, ICEX officials pointto garment chains like Zara as in-vestor beachheads here. Playingoff the strength of the euro, Man-go, another prêt-a-porter firm,has just opened a flagship store inNew York’s SoHo. It is planninga second store on Madison Av-enue.

Overall, exports of Spanishmanufactured products to the U.S.grew 23 percent in the last year.

“Spanish companies focusedon Latin America in the 1990s,but now we’re witnessing a radi-cal change, with the infrastruc-ture sector investing heavily inthe U.S. They combine construc-tion with financing and manage-ment, using the concession-basedmodel as an entry point into themarket,” states Acebes.

Although investment still flowsmainly to the European Union,Acebes is aware of the shift toNorth America in sectors like en-gineering. Not a bad result for acountry that until 1998 was a netrecipient of foreign capital. “To-day, investment abroad by Span-ish companies accounts for morethan 35 percent of GDP.

“We are the world’s sixth in-vestor of capital,” says Acebes.

ow of French or Ital-ian cuisine. José An-drés, the chef ofWashington’s Café At-lantico, recentlyhelped organize anevent at the CulinaryInstitute of America,together with Basqueand Catalan cooks.Wine enthusiasts onthis side of the Atlantichave also benefitedfrom the reinventionof Spanish wineries. The suc-cessful vintners imported tech-nology from Australia in the 1980s

ANGEL MARTIN ACEBESVice President of ICEX



Our World Insert is produced by United World. USA TODAY did not participate in its preparation and is not responsible for its content280x246 Usa Today.indd 1 1/10/07 18:34:46

INTA

Spanish assets orbit the earthStrong ties to NASA havehelped Spain to establish aleading role in the Europeanaeronautics industry

A late starter in the space race,Spain didn’t launch its first satel-lite, Hispasat, until 1992. But sincethen, and particularly after 2004,institutional investment in R&Dhas taken the country’s nascentaerospace industry up where it be-longs. For Fernando GonzalezGarcia, Director General of theMinistry of Defense-funded Na-tional Institute of Aerospace Tech-nology (INTA), the results will beevident in the long term.

“In the field of aeronautics,Spain has taken the decision toparticipate in pro-

jects led by major man-ufacturers such asEADS-CASA and Air-bus Industries. This isgoing well, althoughSpanish participation isstill a bit too low in myopinion,” says Gonza-lez, a physics graduatefrom the ComplutenseUniversity of Madridand a specialist in satel-lite communications.

“Currently we haveHispasat, one of thelargest regional operators and per-haps the most important system

with Spanish

and Por-t u g u e s ec o n t e n t .

This is large-ly the result of

our effort to stake out assets inspace and in the field of

telecommunications,”says Gonzalez.

Developedtogether

w i th

the European SpaceAgency, Hispasat pro-vides digital televisionand radio services via52 transponders. Thesatellite, which is usedprimarily to uplink anddownlink from Europeto America, is now inprivate hands.

And as DefenseMinister Jose AntonioAlonso points out,Spain is endowed withone of the best military

communications in Western Eu-rope and NATO:

“This has turned it in-to the main educational

center for aeronauticsengineers. Because of its in-

teraction with private industry ona regular basis, private companiesrecruit directly from research pro-jects at the INTA,” he says.

Over the last decade, the INTAhas also developed SIVA, an inte-grated aerial surveillance system,four of which are already in use bythe ministry of defense.

The INTA has also developedthe Milano, a prototype of an air-plane that can fly 20 continuoushours and will be used for coastalmonitoring and immigration con-

trol. The INTA also runs test-ing facilities that help certify

jet propulsion enginesbuilt by Rolls Royce

or Boeing compo-

nents for the 737 Dreamliner. It isan investment-heavy enterprise,but one that exposes the INTA toglobal trends.

The link to NASA has been aboon for Spain’s space network. Inthe last ten years, it has allowedscientists at the INTA to work onexploratory missions to Mars andJupiter.

The relationship has allowedSpain not only to consolidate itsambition as an aspiring player in jetpropulsion, but has also upgradedits space research technology.

In December 2007, the defenseminister visited INTA’s CAB as-trobiology center, where he openeda new €3 billion ($4.37 billion) lab-oratory to simulate interstellar andplanetary environments.

Associated with the Astrobiolo-gy Institute of the NASA, the CABcarries out research into the originof life and its presence and influencein the Universe.

The center is equipped with a net-work of robotic telescopes designedto search for planetary systems out-side the Solar System and to followobjects that are close to the Earth.

The CAB is the first center in theworld to be associated with theNASA Astrobiology Institute thatcooperates with 11 groups of sci-entists and laboratories through-out the United States of America,and is developing the instrumentsthat will be used on the surface ofMars during NASA’s 2009 mission.

FERNANDO GONZALEZGARCIA Director General of INTA

Over the last decade, Spainhas become a leader in thereverse osmosis technologyused in desalination plants

Cities like the Mediterranean portof Alicante now rely on desaltingfacilities for 40 percent of their wa-ter supply. According to the tradepromotion agency ICEX, there are900 desalination plants in Spainwith a total functioning capacity of1.5 million cubic meters (396 mil-lion gallons).

Spain’s Mtorres is currently re-

designing a new prototype for anopen-sea desalination platform thatis powered by wind turbines.

Carboneras, in the province ofAlmeria, is a prime example of thekind of green engineering that iswinning Spain an international rep-utation. Built by a consortium ofcompanies, including Abengoa,Degremont and Pridesa, it is Eu-rope’s largest.

The plant uses sea water efflu-ents to operate the high-pressurepumps that convey water to thepolymer-based membranes where

the filtering and purificationprocess takes place. Initially, out-put per day stood at 10,000 cubicmeters (2.6 million gallons), sup-plying 120,000 homes. At full ca-pacity, the plant can produce up to120,000 cubic meters (31.7 milliongallons).

Carboneras already helps irri-gate 7,000 hectares (17,297 acres)of farmland in the Nijar area insoutheastern Spain, a supplier ofwinter vegetables grown underplastic to Europe.

Reverse osmosis does not re-

quire heat or phase changes, but theinfrastructure can still be expensive.Because several of the main play-ers in the sector are subsidiaries ofSpanish-based construction com-panies, engineering outfits likePridesa have the financial flexibil-ity to work on turnkey projectsthrough concessions or public-pri-vate partnerships.

Pridesa, one of the members ofthe consortium that built Car-boneras, is now applying its ex-pertise to redesign the ApolloBeachplant in Tampa Bay, Florida.

CARBONERAS DESALINATION PLANT

Wind power purifies salt water

Time magazine has lauded the bacteria repelling work surfaces developed by Cosentino.

Once among the poorest re-gions of Spain, imaginationand investment are revivingAlmería’s economy

Best known for its stunningdesert landscapes, as featured inmany a spaghetti western,Almería’s quiet coves and un-spoiled beaches now attract fa-mous writers, while enterprisinginland farmers raise winter veg-etables in greenhouses that canbe seen from space.

But local entrepreneur Fran-cisco Martinez-Cosentino hasfound a new way to add value toone of Almería’s most abundantnatural resources: stone.

Silestone® is the trademark forthe quartz marketed by theCosentino Business Group(CBG) in Europe and NorthAmerica. Combining anti-mi-crobial properties with kitchenfurnishings, Cosentino came upwith a magic formula.

Hygiene trends in the industryled his research team of 24 to coatthe quartz and resin countertopswith bacteria repelling agents.Unlike granite, non-porous Sile-stone® means the countertop re-quires no maintenance. It hasbeen hailed by Time magazine asone of the most influential in-ventions in the 21st century.

“Time magazine included usamong the top products that willchange the American lifestyle thiscentury. It was a great source ofsatisfaction for my partners in the

U.S., as well as for me personal-ly,” says Cosentino. The Silestone®brand now has a 7 percent mar-ket share of the North Americanmarket for countertops, repre-senting 60 percent of total sales.Cosentino has increased factoryoutput in Almería by 50 percentto meet demand. With more than14 quarry sites and 19 factories,the group’s turnover was esti-mated at €400 million ($585 mil-lion) in 2007.

“What separates us from thecompetition is innovation, dis-tribution and marketing,” saysCosentino. His is no conventionaloutfit, stodgy and dissent-free.Employees at CBG are encour-aged to pursue MBAs and thinkoutside the box, or the quarry inthis case.

Cosentino enjoys being sur-rounded by ambitious employ-ees who question his decisions,thus improving prototypes. “Lifeis meant to be a game and whenI talk about playing, I’m not ap-plying the philosophy to myselfalone, but to everyone else,” hesays.

Every day, CBG sells 3,000kitchen countertops worldwide.By the end of the year, Cosenti-no wants to raise that number to5,000 per day. That is why theCBG ran an ad in this year’s Su-per Bowl halftime, featuring thegerm-free work surface. “We haveto be capable of promoting theidea that Silestone® is like fulfill-ing a dream or a passion,” he says.

COSENTINO

Enter the germ-freekitchen


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