Spanish govt positioning itself in ‘defending clearly anti-innovation standards’: Spanish Association of Startups

The Spanish Association of Startups says that the Spanish government is “is positioning itself in Europe with the toughest lines defending clearly anti-innovation standards.”

Last week, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gave the closing remarks at South Summit saying that the Spanish government will create “a legal framework that recognizes the unique characteristics of startups,” and that will include “enhancing tax incentives for R & D & I” in corporate taxes for large companies to invest in emerging companies.

Carlos Mateo

However, on Friday the Spanish Association of Startups President Carlos Mateo wrote that the Spanish government needs to be more ambitious and that the PM’s proposal is “a first step in the right direction, but [one] which still has a long journey.”

According to Novobrief, many in the Spanish startup ecosystem believe that prime minister’s announcement was little more than a publicity stunt.

“Some actions of the government in other important matters cause us concern, because they go in the opposite direction to making Spain an entrepreneurial nation,” wrote the head of the Association of Spanish Startups.

“Such is the case of the announcement by different members of the Government to make Spain the first European country to have a digital rate that is already generating uncertainties among Spanish entrepreneurs and national and international investors.

“It is equally worrisome that the same government is positioning itself in Europe with the toughest lines defending clearly anti-innovation standards such as the Copyright directive.”

It is necessary to deepen and expand on the concrete measures announced by the President of the Government

Mateo asked that the government modifiy “its position in all the anti-innovation norms and measures it promotes and supports” and to convene “a ‘working table’ with all the actors of the innovation ecosystem to implement a nationwide startup model” that is “credible, consensual and appropriate to the characteristics of the Spanish reality.”

“To face the challenges we have, we must promote the measures that we have proposed to all parties and that the government knows how to reduce drastic bureaucratic burdens to create and grow a startup in our country.”

Mateo then listed the following reform measures:

1. The elimination of the shares of corporate self-employed workers in the first moments of the life of the startup in which it does not invoice.
2. The improvement of the tax treatment of investments by business angels.
3. The support both for the recruitment of international talent through a VISA for entrepreneurs, and the retention of talent in our startups with the improvement of the taxation of the remuneration of skilled workers through participation in the social capital.
4. To reform the set of public aid to support the entrepreneurs who have the most difficulties.

In his closing talk at South Summit, Prime Minister Sanchez referred to Spain as a nation of entrepreneurs and startups.

Mateo responded, “The Spanish Association of Startups wants to say that talking about the ‘Entrepreneur Nation’ is good as a first strategic approach, but it is necessary to deepen and expand on the concrete measures announced by the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez, during the closure of the South Summit.”