One of the success stories the President will highlight is the Teruel Airport: "The Teruel Airport Platform has become an example of rural economic transformation; by developing a dynamic aeronautical ecosystem, the Platform has attracted investment, generating around a thousand direct jobs and creating opportunities for skilled workers in the region. Located in Caudé—a small municipality in an area affected by depopulation—the project..."
This is one of several success stories Ursula von der Leyen will present to justify a major economic development investment package targeting various aspects of industry, energy, market integration, and trade.
The dossier Von der Leyen will present this Wednesday includes ten other "success stories" like Teruel's—examples of European-backed investments involving public-private collaboration that generate jobs and added value. These include, for instance, a leading German semiconductor inspection and verification company; a Bulgarian health-tech firm; a high-tech agricultural operation in Latvia; and maritime navigation and energy projects in the Netherlands and Scandinavia.
According to the airport, this statement "highlights the value of the Aerospace Innovation Laboratory—run with the Technological Institute of Aragon and co-financed by the Just Transition Fund—a strategic asset for reinforcing Teruel's role as a hub for innovation, testing, and the qualification of aerospace components." "Teruel is on the European aerospace map. And we continue working to raise its profile even further," asserts the facility's Director General, Alejandro Ibrahim. "This recognition speaks volumes about the work we are doing at the airport and how initiatives like this serve as the best antidote to depopulation. That is what it is all about," Ibrahim declares—putting Teruel on the international map and turning it into a benchmark and an example that it is possible to commit to and succeed with key driver projects in demographically depressed areas. The goal, he notes, is "precisely that: to generate wealth and make it possible not only for people to stay and thrive in the region but also to attract new residents by creating economic activity and jobs. Teruel is reaching beyond its borders thanks to its airport, and that is a source of pride," Ibrahim concludes.