Sànchez, Amat

Revistes Catalanes amb Accés Obert

T H E  P A I S  VALENCIA ,  
A N  I N D U S T R I A L  COUNTRY 
ven today, it is  not unusual to 
f ind an agricultural image of the 
Pais Valencia reflected in spe- 
ciarst publications and in public opi- 
nion: an agricultural image which is tra- 
ditional in our society and according to 
which we are a "farming nation". In 
other words, a country in which agricul- 
tural factors (good or bad harvests, me- 
teorological problems, commercial fac- 
tors, etc.) have far-reaching effects for 
the public in general and are seen to 
have a decisive influence on develop- 
ments in our economy. The reality, 
however, is very different. No-one would 
deny the part still played by a cultural 
and sociological background of agricul- 
tural origin in the Pais Valencia of the 
eighties, or the importance of agricul- 
ture in the socio-economic life of some 
regions of Valencia. But, at the same 
time, there is  no denying the fact that 
the Pais Valencia of the seventies, the 
eighties -and now of the nineties- has 
THE TRADITIONAL IMAGE OF THE PAÍS VALENCIA IS THAT 
OF AN AGRICULTURAL COUNTRY, BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT 
IT HAS BEEN AND IS A PLAINLY INDUSTRIAL COUNTRY. IT IS 
THE HOME OF A COMPLEX AND VARIED INDUSTRY, AND 
HAS A LOT IN COMMON WITH OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED 
COUNTRIES. 
AMAT S A N C H E Z  L E C T U R E R  I N  P O L I T I C A L  E C O N O M Y ,  
U N l V E R S I T Y  O F  V A L E N C I A  
been and is  a plainly industrial country. 
An industrial country that is  reflected in 
one fact regarding the Valencian eco- 
nomy: over a third of the country's em- 
ployed are to be found in industry: an 
industry which, over and above mere 
figures, sets the pace of our economy, 
is the driving force behind our country's 
development and particularly of its most 
dynamic centres, and furthermore one 
which, in a supposedly post-industrial 
world, is the driving force behind a 
good number of services which could 
hardly exist without a solid industrial 
basis. It is therefore no exaggeration to 
say that the Valencian economy is 
largely dependent on the pace set by in- 
dustry. And if there is  any doubt, we 
need only remember, for example, that 
the economic crisis in the País Valencia 
has been mainly an industrial crisis and 
that the decline and reconversion of 
traditional industries have been the ori- 
gin of the basic problems in the Valen- 
cian economy (unemployment, under- 
ground economy, territorial crises, etc.). 
Today, when the optimistic (and at times 
hasty) forecasts regarding the future of 
the Valencian economy are issued, al1 
of them centre on the modernization of 
our industrial fabric. 
And what do we Valencians produce in 
our industry's factories? For one, we 
produce what we have been producing 
for years: furniture and shoes, toys and 
tools, textiles and food; al1 of them pro- 
ducts with a long history (and some- 
times with centres of intense specializa- 
tion: Alcoi, Onil, Elda, I'Alcora, Onti- 
nyent, etc.), which nowadays are torn 
between the preservation of traditional 
production mothods, the trap offered 
by the underground economy, the intro- 
duction of new technologies and the re- 
novation of their products. Along with 
these "old products" (which are still the 
mainstay of our industry), the products 
of what is commonly referred to as 
"new technology" are beginning to 
gain ground and find their place in the 
Valencian industry (robots, rnachinery, 
inforrnatics applications, etc.1. Finally, 
this industrial panorama has been com- 
pleted in the last few years by the pre- 
sence in the País Valencia of various 
transnational cornpanies which in sorne 
cases have become the new industrial 
"stars" and have placed sorne products 
(cars, cornputers, etc.) at the head of 
our production and our exterior trade. 
As we can see, our industry is  a com- 
plex and highly varied one, and, at the 
sarne 'time, one which is  undergoing ex- 
trernely irnportant and significant trans- 
formations. This can be seen, for exam- 
ple, in the crisis affecting traditional 
sectors, the rise and consolidation of 
new activities, the introduction of new 
production rnethods or the challenge of 
constantly changing products and pre- 
sentation (the tyranny of design!). Per- 
haps this rnoment of tension and of 
change in the industry of Valencia (not 
always fully understood by business- 
men and politicians) can be seen rnost 
clearly in the impact that current techno- 
logical developrnents are having on our 
industrial reality. We are at present 
conternplating a process in which rapid 
technological progress is beginning to 
question the traditional organisation of 
our industry and to cal1 for quick, deci- 
sive answers. Answers to both the de- 
veloprnent of new industries and the pro- 
found reconversion of the textile, tool 
or toy sectors, in which chip and laser 
have come to occupy the position which 
once corresponded to the craftsrnan's 
ski11 or to cornrnercial intuition. 
The process of technological innovation 
in the País Valencia is therefore reveal- 
ing the existence of two trends, which 
correspond to two realities of Valencian 
industry: realities which the innovatory 
process itself is  consolidating. One re- 
ality is that of the new "front-line" activi- 
ties and the reconversion of traditional 
sectors, R+D projects and the future 
technological cornplex, pioneering corn- 
panies and prornotion policies. The 
other reality (less brilliant, but just as 
real and still irnportant in our country) is 
revealed through the underground eco- 
nomy, a conservative business world, 
the harrnful effects on the environrnent, 
the difficulties deriving from the srnall 
size of rnany firrns and the survival of 
outdated production and processing 
technologies. The positive articulation 
of these trends (not always so far apart 
in realityl and the stimulation of Valen- 
cian industry in general is without doubt 
the fundamental challerige facing our 
economy. 
We find ourselves, therefore, before an 
industrial country which is lively and 
cornplex, varied and contradictory, 
dynamic and conflictive. A country 
which is a long way frorn the agricultura1 
rnyth, as we have seen, but with a re- 
ality which does not correspond to the 
outworn concepts of the "California of 
Europe" or the "Japan of the Mediter- 
ranean". The reality is rnuch richer, 
more dynamic, more open and -why 
not?- more problematic than the sirnpli- 
fication these slogans present. An in- 
dustrial country with positive elements 
and with difficulties to overcorne, with 
challenges to reply to (the Cornmon 
Market is one very irnportant onel and 
hard work ahead for the politicians and 
social leaders. Al1 in 011, nothing new. 
An industrial country, Valencia, with its 
own particular characteristics, but with 
a lot in cornrnon with other industrial 
countries at a rnornent of change such 
as the present. • 


The País Valencià, an Industrial Country

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Revistes Catalanes amb Accés Obert