Presencia empresarial de España en los países de la ampliación: ¿una oportunidad perdida?

Abstract

The present article analyzes the reasons for the scant presence of Spanish firms in the new EU Member States with a view to designing suitable policies to amend this mistaken tack. After a brief review of the geographic and industrial pattern of Spanish investment in Central and Eastern Europe, the discussion focuses on the chief characteristics that make these countries appealing investment targets. The conclusion drawn from that analysis is that our companies are late-comers to the privatization process and are burdened by the well-known shortcomings that affect the Spanish economy in general: lack of training for the open economy, including a lack of knowledge of foreign languages, technological insufficiencies, and so on. Even so, none of these circumstances is insurmountable if suitable mechanisms and policies are implemented.