EIB supports Fagor Arrasate's innovation and digitalisation strategy

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Fagor Arrasate (a cooperative and part of the Mondragón Group) signed a new agreement to finance the Basque company's research, development and innovation (RDI). To this end, the EIB will provide €10 million to Fagor Arrasate to finance nine strategic RDI projects for a total investment of €24 million to be developed by the Gipuzkoa-based cooperative between 2021 and 2024. The project is backed by a guarantee from the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the main pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe.

The EIB support will enable Fagor Arrasate to strengthen its competitiveness by making strategic investments in key internal processes in the production of heavy machinery, as well as in the development of advanced machinery and digital services to meet the future challenges of European industry's strategic sectors. The agreement will contribute to improving technologies for processing new lightweight materials mainly for the automotive sector, in addition to improvements to existing production facilities.

The project is expected to have a positive environmental impact as a major part of the innovation centres on the development of machinery that will enable car manufacturers to make lighter, more environmentally friendly vehicles, as well as to produce components for electric vehicles. The EIB is firmly committed to continuing to support innovation in the automotive sector in Spain, having financed and worked with several companies in the sector during the pandemic.

This will be the first operation with Fagor Arrasate, although the EIB has already worked with several MONDRAGON Group cooperatives.

EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix said: “We are very proud to finance Fagor Arrasate’s RDI strategy, promoting the digitalisation and advanced production techniques of this Spanish company through greater sustainability that will undoubtedly enable it to strengthen its competitiveness. This operation demonstrates the EIB’s strong commitment to an economic recovery based on innovation and environmental protection, as well as to supporting the automotive industry, which is key to the Spanish economy and job creation — the EIB’s priority objectives in Spain.”

Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for the Economy, added: “With help from the Investment Plan for Europe and the EIB, Spanish company Fagor Arrasate will invest in new manufacturing technologies and the development of machinery for producing electric vehicles. This is good news for competitiveness and for the green transition in the Spanish automotive sector.”

President of the Fagor Arrasate Governing Board Iñaki Martínez stressed that this EU bank's decision “shows the EIB’s firm support for Fagor Arrasate’s strategy, providing the funds needed to undertake future projects that will enable us to improve our competitiveness and be a leading benchmark for our customers.”

The project also fosters technological leadership and competitiveness in European industry and directly and indirectly supports economic growth and employment in Europe.

Background information:

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy objectives.

The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) is the main pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe. It provides first loss guarantees, enabling the EIB to invest in more projects that often come with increased risk. The projects and agreements approved for financing under EFSI have so far mobilised €546.5 billion in investment, a quarter of which is going to research, development and innovation projects.