The West of England’s world-leading aerospace and tech sectors have helped strengthen business ties between the area and the Spanish city of Malaga.
A delegation from the aerospace systems cluster of the Technology Park of Andalucía has been on a two-day visit to the area this week to explore business collaboration opportunities.
The visit, hosted by inward investment agency Invest Bristol & Bath, showcased the innovation and development in the area’s aerospace cluster, which is home to all of the world’s 15 leading aerospace giants including Airbus, Rolls Royce and BAE Systems. 
The Spanish delegation also explored Bristol and Bath’s tech and digital capabilities in areas such as big data, smart cities and robotics.
Taking part in the visit were representatives from the Technology Park of Andalucía (PTA), the University of Malaga, the City Hall of Malaga, the Regional Government of Andalusia and businesses MADES, CITIC and Aertec Solutions, which has a base in Bristol and works with Airbus at its wing engineering and design plant at Filton.
The West of England’s prowess in the tech sector has been highlighted by a raft or reports including McKinsey and Co, which named Bristol & Bath as the UK’s fastest-growing, most globally-significant tech cluster in its 2014 report.
Bristol was named the leading smart city outside of London in a report published by Chinese tech giant Huawei last year and Invest Bristol & Bath is today hosting Venturefest 2017, which will demonstrate how the region is leading the debate around smart cities.
The delegation visited Bristol and Bath Science Park, the Quantum Technology Centre of the University of Bristol and the National Composites Centre as well as various business incubators.
Invest Bristol & Bath high-tech sector specialist Rick Chapman, pictured, who visited the PTA last year, said:“The tech cluster in the Bristol & Bath region is a strong asset and drives economic growth, with the region being recognised as the seventh strongest in Europe by the Financial Times.
“The innovation we saw on our visit to the PTA reflects what we’re doing here in the region and presents tangible opportunities for collaboration.”
PTA president Jose Luis Ruiz Espejo said the visit represented an opportunity to bring together innovation ecosystems like those in the Bristol and Bath region and in the Technology Park of Andalucía with the objective of identifying opportunities between the regions with a defined technological strategy.
Businesses in the Malaga aerospace sector could also maximise their international presence, especially in the UK, to generate new business opportunities, he said.
Aertec Solutions president Antonio Gomez Guillamon, who was representing the Aeronautical Systems Cluster of the PTA, said:“The region around Bristol is the hub of the British aerospace sector, with large companies, research centres and a well-established cluster.
“The bridges that we can build with them together with the good air links between Malaga and Bristol should facilitate collaboration between companies, joint projects and access to clients from both sides.”
