The Vice President and Councillor for Energy Transition, Productive Sectors and Democratic Memory, Juan Pedro Yllanes, has highlighted the good figures for industrial production in the Balearic Islands, which show a steady increase over the last three months and which mean that the Islands lead the annual rate in Spain from April to June.

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According to data provided by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the Balearic Islands grew by 32.9% in June. These figures are in line with the figures for May, in which the Islands topped the Spanish ranking with 33.1% year-on-year, and those for April, with 22.2%.

During the visit to the company Ecoquímic, Yllanes praised its track record, “a company with more than 25 years of experience in the chemical and biological products manufacturing sector, which has been able to adapt to the new times through the modernisation and digitalisation of its processes with the public support of the Government”.

The Vice-president stressed that “these figures only serve to endorse the good work being done by the Government. The productive sectors, which include industry, commerce, innovation and also the energy sector, are a fundamental axis in the economic diversification of the Islands. Specifically, the industrial sector is the driving force behind this diversification that we are promoting and the good figures known today indicate that we are on the right track. I would like to point out that this translates into stable, quality jobs. I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you of the good data that we now have in the Islands, record figures for employment and permanent employment that set us as an example for the rest of the country”.

The Vice President also mentioned the company Ecoquímic as an example of an industry that “is clearly committed to the circular, sustainable and innovative economy that the Government is promoting with the aim of reactivating our economy through the transformation and diversification of our production model”. This company has created a prototype of a self-service dispenser thanks to the line of subsidy aimed at promoting investment actions for the modernisation of the productive and digital structure of industrial activity (2021), specifically Programme 1. Design and innovation (Acquisition of prototypes to be used in the work centres of the applicant entity located in the Balearic Islands). The amount of the grant is around 80,000 euros.

The prototype consists of a self-service dispenser of six Desimper products, where each customer can conveniently purchase a bottle and fill it with the desired product. This purchased bottle will be reused in the machine; thus, from the second use, it contributes to preserving the environment by eliminating 100 % of the carbon footprint in the use of plastic.

Among the main benefits of the vending machine, it should be noted that the distribution is kilometre 0, reinforces the local industry of Mallorca, helps to reduce the use of plastic and CO2 by 70% and encourages the reuse of bottles.

In the words of the Director General of Industrial Policy of the Government, Antoni Morro, “seeing how the policies implemented become tangible realities, which motivate changes in the right direction and improve our islands is very gratifying. We are delighted that the most decisive action for local industry has been so well received by the sector and that companies like Ecoquímic can carry out expansion and improvement projects. The new line of aid makes available to the private sector the maximum possible public stimulus with three clear objectives: the competitive improvement of companies, the creation of jobs and the strengthening of the local industrial sector. Three essential ingredients to achieve the desired economic diversification”.

The director general also stressed that “the key to improving our model will not come from the private sector or the public sector, but from appropriate public-private collaboration. We need the talent and effort of everyone to achieve such a milestone. With this vision in mind, we decided to triple the initial amount of the line of aid, reaching 4.2 million euros. This has made it possible to accommodate all proposals associated with job creation without leaving anyone excluded due to lack of credit”.