CDTI and Cotec study innovation in Spain: what it means for your business

Key data

Companies investing in R&D+i in Spain will now have a more robust data source to justify and guide their investment decisions. The CDTI and the Fundación Cotec for Innovation have formalized a collaboration agreement, published on May 25, 2026 through the Resolution of May 14, 2026 (BOE-A-2026-11307), to develop joint studies on the national innovation ecosystem.

The relevance of this agreement does not lie in obligations or sanctions for companies: it lies in the opportunity it creates. The reports derived from this collaboration between a public business entity and a leading private foundation in innovation can become the most solid analytical basis available to guide R&D+i investment strategies in Spain.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution publishes the collaboration agreement signed between the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI), a public business entity dependent on the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, and the Fundación Cotec for Innovation, a leading private foundation in the field of innovation in Spain.

The purpose of the agreement is the joint conduct of studies on innovation in Spain. This involves combining the resources and analytical capabilities of both entities to generate knowledge about the national innovation ecosystem.

The key elements of the agreement are as follows:

• Collaboration between public entity (CDTI) and private foundation (Cotec) to produce independent analyses on R&D+i in Spain.
• The resulting studies may serve as a basis for decision-making in innovation policy both public and private.
• The agreement strengthens the generation of independent data and analysis on the national innovation ecosystem.
• The derived reports can constitute key references to guide innovation investment strategies by companies and organizations in the technology sector.

The regulation does not establish direct obligations, compliance deadlines or sanctions for private companies. Its impact is indirect: the studies generated by this collaboration will influence public policies supporting innovation and the reference frameworks used by companies and investors to make decisions in R&D+i.

Economic and operational impact

This agreement does not generate direct costs for companies nor does it modify any existing tax or labor obligation. Its impact is strategic and opportunity-based in nature.

The joint CDTI-Cotec studies have the potential to influence several fronts relevant to business decision-making:

• Public innovation policy: The reports can guide future aid calls, financing lines and CDTI priorities. Companies that know these analyses before they are translated into public policy will be better positioned to anticipate financing opportunities.
• Sector benchmarking: Data on the national innovation ecosystem allows companies to compare their level of R&D+i investment with the sector average and with competitors, a key argument before investors and boards of directors.
• Justification of R&D+i investments: Having independent and reference studies facilitates internal and external justification of innovation budgets, especially in environments where the finance department requires evidence to approve R&D investments.
• Access to tax incentives: Companies that align their projects with the priorities identified in these studies can improve their positioning in calls for tax deductions for R&D+i regulated in the Corporate Income Tax.

Who does it affect?

The resolution expressly identifies the following groups as relevant recipients of the studies that will be generated by this agreement:

• Technology companies: Especially those with R&D+i activity that need market data and sector benchmarks to guide their innovation strategy.
• Researchers: Both from the academic and applied fields, who will use these studies as a source of data on the national innovation ecosystem.
• Public bodies: Ministries, agencies and entities of the Administration that design and execute innovation policy in Spain.
• Agents of the Spanish innovation ecosystem: Accelerators, venture capital funds, technology parks, sector clusters and any actor operating in the innovation and technology environment.
• CFOs and financial executives of companies with R&D+i investment, who can use these reports to strengthen the argument for their innovation budgets.

Practical example

A medium-sized company in the industrial software sector with an annual R&D+i budget of 500,000 euros needs to justify to its board of directors the maintenance of that investment in a context of cost pressure.

Until now, the management team had scattered data and paid sector reports to argue that decision. With the joint CDTI-Cotec studies, the company will be able to:

• Access independent and reference data on the level of R&D+i investment in the Spanish technology sector, published by two entities of maximum credibility.
• Compare its innovation investment ratio with the national and sector average, strengthening or reorienting its strategy.
• Anticipate the thematic priorities that CDTI will transfer to its next financing calls, aligning its projects in advance.
• Use the reports as support before investors or financial entities that require evidence of the company's innovative positioning.

The cost of access to these studies, being generated by public entities and a foundation of general interest, is likely to be zero or minimal for interested companies.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify the person responsible for innovation or R&D+i in your organization and assign them to monitor publications derived from this CDTI-Cotec agreement. The resulting reports will be reference documents for the sector.
2. Subscribe to publications from CDTI and Fundación Cotec to receive studies as soon as they are published. Both entities have their own communication channels where they disseminate their analyses.
3. Incorporate the reports into the strategic planning process of R&D+i. When available, use them as a benchmark to review whether your level of innovation investment is competitive with respect to the sector.
4. Review the CDTI call calendar on a semi-annual basis. The studies generated by this agreement can anticipate the thematic priorities of future public financing lines in innovation.
5. Share the reports with the CFO and board of directors as independent support for the approval of R&D+i budgets. A study signed by CDTI and Cotec carries significant argumentative weight before governing bodies.