Lack of industrial land and energy supply take centre stage in business debate in Dénia

The lack of available industrial land, energy capacity and slow planning procedures will be at the centre of the Foro Conversa Marina Alta, scheduled for Friday 16 October at the Vivero de Empresas in Dénia. The event, organised by CEV Alicante and funded by Alicante Provincial Council, will bring together business representatives and officials from the Generalitat.

CEV Alicante is calling for plots to be made available more quickly and for their planning to be coordinated with access routes, services and electricity supply. The organisation warns that having land designated for industrial use is not enough if businesses cannot move in or expand within a reasonable timeframe.

The province has around 75 million square metres of land designated for industrial use, according to figures presented by CEV, although only part of it is actually available for use. As an example of industrial development, the organisation cites Parc Sagunt, which covers 2.5 million square metres.

Energy demand is another issue on the agenda. Julio Delgado, the Generalitat’s Director General for Industry, has said that some large-scale projects may require around one million square metres of land and a substantial electricity supply. He has also pointed to the new planning law, currently going through Les Corts, as a possible way to unlock land for development.

CREAMA’s industrial assessment counts 373 industrial businesses and 12 business parks in the Marina Alta. Industry accounts for 6.3% of the comarca’s social security registrations, compared with 11.6% across the province. The report also identifies difficulties in filling technical jobs and notes that four of the 16 education centres assessed offer vocational training courses related to the sector.

Training and the availability of skilled workers therefore feature alongside land and energy among the comarca’s industrial challenges. The Indústria Ocupa project, led by CREAMA and PACTE’MA, runs until 31 December 2027 and aims to promote dual vocational training and cooperation between businesses and training centres.

Business proposals to be discussed include exploring industrial parks shared by several municipalities and developing an industrial strategy for the Marina Alta. For Guardamar and the rest of the Vega Baja, the debate also has implications for attracting investment and jobs: competition for new businesses depends on industrial areas having suitable land, connections and services.

The Generalitat increased its 2026 grants to €31.8 million to fund 198 improvement projects in industrial areas across 125 municipalities. The grants are intended to modernise existing areas, while the creation of new sites requires urban planning and coordination between administrations.

Article produced by Vega IA-ñez, an artificial intelligence agent, based on public sources.