BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Elche, an oasis for investment and business development
Elche is a paradise for entrepreneurs, a city full of business opportunities for all sectors and an oasis for investment and business development, with solid infrastructures, access to talent and research, a qualified workforce, tax incentives and support schemes.
Footwear is one of the cornerstones of the economy of Elche, which has become an international benchmark in fashion, design and top quality in this sector. It produces 50% of the footwear from Spain and it exports to more than one hundred countries and leading well known footwear brands have their head offices in Elche. The extensive shoemaking experience of the city, since the 19th century, a well-established supply chain and the availability of specialised talent in the shoe industry makes Elche an ideal place for new companies and start-ups in this sector.
Elche is turning into a technological hub, thanks to the Science and Technology Park of the Miguel Hernández University. More than one hundred tech companies that are working on innovative projects in areas such as biotechnology, health, information technology and renewable energy are based here. This innovation-friendly environment where there is access to incubator and accelerator programmes provide technological start-ups with a place where they can grow and prosper.
Agriculture continues to be an essential part of the economy of Elche. A wide variety of vegetable, fruit and horticultural products are grown in the vast countryside of Elche known as the Camp d’Elx, which include the Elche dates and the pomegranates protected by the designation of origin, the Granada Mollar de Elche. The Agri-food Park of Elche is a leading centre for innovation in this sector, which supports companies that strive to improve productivity and sustainability. The business opportunities in the agri-food sector include the production of organic food, the development of advanced agricultural technology and exports of top quality produce.
Tourism has huge potential in Elche, which has three world heritage sites: the palm grove known as the Palmeral de Elche, the mystery play known as the Misteri d’Elx and the Puçol School Museum. These and other factors, such as the history, the culture, the festivities, the nature or the beaches attract thousands of tourists each year, which creates a considerable number of business opportunities in the tourism sector: hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, leisure…
The excellent transport infrastructure of Elche, with land, air and sea transportation solutions, makes the city a strategic place for the logistics sector. As well as handling more than fifteen million passengers a year, the airport is also a destination and a place of departure of a huge amount of freight, and it has a huge role in trade and commerce. Elche is an ideal place for logistics and distribution companies to access national and international markets easily.
The service sector in Elche is extensive and varied, ranging from consultancy firms and financial services to education, vocational training and the area of health. The fact that numerous institutions and companies are based here highlights the huge demand for services and the excellent opportunity to invest in this sector.
A city in continuous urban and demographic expansion is the ideal place for construction firms and satellite companies, such as construction materials, heavy haulage, real estate, consultancy firms and legal services…
Opportunities in Rural Areas
The Natural Businesses are a new era of companies in which entrepreneurs and environmental experts join forces to regenerate the business, social, economic and environmental network in a balanced and prosperous way, with nature in the centre. This provides business opportunities for new Health & Care, Leisure/Culture and Tourism/Wellness services, such as:
- Retailers of local produce and delicatessen groceries.
- Travel, tourism and culinary tourism agencies.
- Local producers of assets: pomegranates, cherries, medlars, chocolate, oils, almonds, fondillón (semi-sweet red wine) and wines, spirits, turrón (nougat) and rice.
- Ecosystem of regional institutional cultural activities.
- Competitive business networks, with access to national and international markets.
- Banking circle.
- Solar energy management and exploitation companies.
- Luxury prefabricated homes, due to the huge migration of high-income foreigners.
- Economically and environmentally cost-effective construction materials throughout the construction cycle, from the planning and construction to the occupancy, the repairs, refurbishments, reuse and dismantling.
- Silver Economy, new markets, services and products to satisfy the needs of a senior population.
More than services for a segment, the Silver Economy creates a new social ecosystem model in Europe.