We are Fedit

In March 1996, Fedit is created as the Spanish Federation of Innovation and Technology Entities, through the merger of the former Spanish Federation of Industrial Research Associations (FEDIN) and Spanish Federation of Innovation and Technology Organisations (FEIT). This event coincided with the promulgation of Royal Decree 2609/1996, which established the concept of Centre for Innovation and Technology (CIT) and created an official register for these institutions.

From then until the year 2008, the productive and competitive environment underwent a profound transformation, evidencing the importance of business support organisations. Thanks to the institutional efforts of Fedit, the CIT concept evolved and reached the current Technology Centre model.

That same year, the Ministry of Science and Innovation issued Royal Decree 2093/2008, which regulated Technology Centres and established a Registry for them. To be included in this Registry, Technology Centres must meet indicators of competitiveness, solvency, experience and own resources, demonstrating their ability to carry out activities to generate technological knowledge, R&D&I and its application in the market.

Also in 2008, the Science and Innovation Commission of the Congress of Deputies unanimously approved two Non-Law Proposals, recognising the results obtained by the Technology Centres through their activity and their prominent role in the Spanish Science and Technology System.

2009 represents the beginning of a decade marked by the economic crisis and the drastic cut in public financing towards Technology Centres and the balance with their private financing is dramatically broken. With the aggravating factor that, while the difference between the highest and lowest moment of market revenues (152,87 million euros in 2013) was -26%, the collapse between the peak and the valley (79,3, million in 2016) of public financing reached -48,4%. In that year, the different Administrations only contributed with a 9,2% of the total income of the Technology Centres via non-competitive financing.

En 2010, Fedit changed its name and became the Spanish Federation of Technology Centres. The organisation represented the Technology Centres in the Spanish Innovation System for Science, Technology, Business and Society, acting as a qualified interlocutor recognised by other agents in the sector. Likewise, Fedit became a benchmark for excellence in Innovation and Technology, seeking to promote the competitive advantage of companies and the benefit of society.

Even so, despite the severe crisis suffered by the Technology Centres after 2009, they have reacted by increasing the capture of resources from companies and their participation in European programs. In this way, while the State's contribution was reduced by 75% in a decade, the volume of resources raised in international calls by the network, especially the European ones, tripled, despite the number of Fedit members having decreased. This ability to prevail in competitive calls, especially at the international level, must be attributed to the research and management excellence of the Technology Centres.

After a decade of sustained growth of the Centres despite the difficulties, 2019This meant (not without an intense activity of dialogue and negotiation with the Government) the recovery of programs aimed at national cooperation between Technology Centres and the approval with CDTI of the creation and funding of the Cervera instrument. The impact of the first call for this program leaves no room for doubt: at the end of 2022, the volume of income generated by the participating Technology Centres, thanks to the provision of services to companies in the R&D areas included in the Cervera Program, reached 109,31 million euros, to which must be added nearly 175 million euros from various lines of public, regional, national and European financing. Thus, a total economic impact of 284,31 million euros can be estimated in the just under two years of development of this initiative, which means applying a multiplier of 7,18 on the initial contribution of the program.

2020 was a tragic year for the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Technology Centres were an example for society, and they mobilised immediately to adapt to the needs of an unprecedented emergency, putting their knowledge and technology at the complete disposal of administrations and society. They have been key figures in the recovery of Spanish economic competitiveness in the post-coronavirus stage through the innovation they develop for companies.

En 2026 The 30th anniversary of Fedit. In su last stage, the Federation ha substantially increased its representativeness in the collective, eventually counting among its associates about 90% of those included in the National Register of Technological Centres of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. In these last years Fedit has managed to substantially improve the positionnation of the CentresTechnological aspects in the science, technology and innovation ecosystem: its sustained growth over time, both in revenueR&D&I projects as in clients and en generation of empI read about quality, its competitive excellence in returns from national and international public calls for proposals, lthe consolidation of the Cervera Program thanks to the excellent results offered by the Centres and sor the tractor effect between companies, and its growing influences in organs private and public consultation and implementation of technology policies like Cadvice Aadvisor of Cscience and TTechnology, CACTI (where Its President occupies his Presidency from 2025), la Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union REPER, the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities y the CDTI, the European Association of Technology Centres (EARTO), the CEOE, etc. so it is endorse.