The digitization of the confinement becomes a mirage: the investment of companies in R + D + i falls by 15% compared to last year

The momentum in digitization that was experienced during confinement by the pandemic has stayed in a mirage. The Spanish business fabric invests in technology 15% less than last year and is already at 2017 levels. In fact, 46% of companies in our country recognize that they have not even started the digital transformation process.

According to entrepreneurs, it is a great opportunity but it also carries great risks. “The digitization process of any company is long, expensive in time and money and does not have an easy or early return“, explains Vicenç Hernández, CEO of ‘Tecnotramit’.

For his part, Miguel Montero, digitization expert and CEO of ‘Atomian’, recalls that companies “have suffered financially” and, on occasions, “can’t wait to make an investment.

In Spain Investment in R + D + i has fallen, but also the hiring of professionals of this type, which has decreased by 2%. From the employer they assure that “the problem is to find workers with the skills that are required”. This is indicated by Pedro Mier, president of ‘Ametic’. However, for the unions the cause has a very different origin. According to José Varela, head of Digitization at UGT, “salary expectations are not met.”

What they do agree on is that the solution is to tackle this problem together. Varela considers it essential “to make this situation understood through social dialogue or public aid.” “It will be successful if it has a coordinated action,” adds Mier.

In this sense, both experts and social agents ask to make a good use of European aid; not only to automate processes, but to change company culture. “As long as we see the company’s digitization process as an expense, it will occupy the tail of the decisions to be made,” says Sergi Ramo, expert in digital transformation and CEO of ‘Growz Consultants.