When the new EU commissioner for regional policy repeatedly drops the Spanish project's name as a "best case" example of what can be achieved with innovative use of European funds, it naturally arouses the interest of any regional specialist worth their salt.
In so effusively praising the Andalusian Stone Technology Centre (CTAP), was Hahn, as some sources suggested, seeking to curry favour with the Spanish EU Presidency, whose support he may require to push his regional policy agenda in the coming months?
Probably, yes, but that doesn't take anything away from the fact that this innovative venture has indeed become an emblematic example of regional project "best practice", and is quite deserving of such praise, one regional expert told EurActiv.
Upon closer inspection, CTAP does seem to have succeeded in its goal of dragging Andalucia's centuries-old marble industry into the 21st century.
In effect, the centre – founded in 2001 – provides a hub for training and upskilling SMEs who work in the stone sector, helping them to apply the most modern methods to their ancient craft.
CTAP brings together regional authorities, private companies, technological organisations and research centres in a non-profit private foundation.
The centre describes its mission as "providing contract research and development (R&D) and technical commercial services in response to the need to improve competitiveness in the Andalusian ornamental stone sector, and the necessity to incorporate more suitable technology into its production procedures".
CTAP does not seek to reinvent the wheel. Rather, it seeks to give wheelmakers – in this case, the marble masons of Andalucia – the knowledge and structures they need to innovate and be competitive.
Using laboratory tests to improve productivity, the latest marketing techniques to sell their products and market research to help stonemakers develop new niche products, the centre – which holds two patents – seeks to serve as a one-stop shop for the business needs of this traditional industry.
'We had to set ourselves apart'
"Differentiation" is the key, project leaders told EurActiv. Shifting the focus from mere production capacity to improving standards, more professional methods and services tailored to clients, the companies have become more sustainable. "We had to set ourselves apart" so the sector's future would be assured, they argued.
Indeed, with steady growth since 2002, the CTAP is now aiming to become an "international reference centre for the stone industry".
Crisis impact
Of course, such strong growth was made possible, in part, due to the strength of the Spanish economy in the early 2000s. But since 2008, Spain has been one of the EU countries worst affected by the global recession.
The dramatic bursting of Spain's bloated property bubble has hit the sector particularly hard. The stone industry's "strong dependency" on the construction sector has led to huge problems with payments, leaving the region with "a severe invoice".
Questioned by EurActiv as to its ability to withstand such a severe economic downturn, the project's leaders countered that while the crisis has undoubtedly had an impact, CTAP's commitment to innovation gives it a certain resilience.
Since 2002, their strategy of betting on the development of projects with a high added value for stone sector companies has borne fruit, they argued. By "innovating continuously" and "constantly reinvesting," the centre offers a vital line of support for companies that need to change to survive.
The project leaders point to the statistical evidence. In 2009, the number of CTAP projects being developed with companies increased by 42%, a sure sign that they view the centre's methods as the right path to withstand the downturn.
CTAP is urging the stone sector to ride out the storm. For example, it is actively discouraging a price war between companies, arguing that this will lead to a loss of business to firms in less developed and emerging countries. Instead, its bosses assert that "this is the moment to be different from the competition through design and innovation".
They also have faith that the Andalusian administration's reorganisation plan will help companies to adjust to the new situation.
