Asturias Hub Defensa took part in the conference “Defence and biomedicine: two pillars of the Asturias of the future”, organised by Diario El Comercio as part of the Asturias International Trade Fair (FIDMA) 2026. The event brought together representatives from Asturias’ business, technology and institutional sectors to analyse the potential of both sectors as drivers of economic growth, innovation and skilled employment in the region.
The event featured a presentation by Carolina Díaz Fernández, director ofAsturias Hub Defence, who presented the mission and objectives of the association, as well as the work that has been carried out to strengthen the regional regional defence and security ecosystem. During his speech, he emphasised the importance of fostering collaboration between companies, centres for technology, public authorities and organisations specialising in knowledge in order to capitalise on the opportunities that are offered by the new context in Europe in the field of defence and innovation.
Furthermore, he highlighted the capabilities in industry and technology already present in Asturias, emphasising the role that can be played by companies in the region in the main programmes at national and European level related to defence, security and dual-use technologies.
Following this presentation, a round-table discussion was held focusing on the defence sector, with the participation of Carlos León, plant manager at Rheinmetall Expal Munitions in Trubia; Paula Queipo, Director of Strategy and Business Development at IDONIAL Technology Centre; and José Manuel Piedra, CTO of Preon Technologies.
During the debate, some of the key challenges and opportunities currently facing the defence industry were discussed, such as the acceleration of innovation processes, the incorporation of new technologies, the need to strengthen supply chains, the transfer of knowledge to the market, and the role played by small and medium-sized enterprises in building strategic capabilities.
The participants agreed that Asturias has a strong industrial base, with highly specialised companies and leading technology centres, capable of contributing to the growth of a sector that is undergoing a significant transformation at both national and European level. They also highlighted the need to strengthen collaboration between the various stakeholders in the ecosystem in order to improve competitiveness and accelerate the introduction of innovative solutions to the market.
At Asturias Hub Defensa, we greatly value this sort of forum for discussion and reflection, which helps to highlight the region’s existing capabilities and create new opportunities for cooperation between businesses, institutions and centres of expertise.
Participation in FIDMA reinforces Asturias Hub Defensa’s commitment to promoting an innovative and competitive defence industry that is aligned with the strategic needs of Spain and Europe, thereby helping to position Asturias as a leading region in high value-added sectors.
