In a complex 2024, of economic readjustment, the Ministry of Productive Development of the Government of Santa Fe released a report prepared by the Secretariat of Industrial Development which highlights that investments by the private sector were registered in the province for 1,380 million dollars throughout the year, in a total of 531 projects. "It was a complex year in economic terms, but the private sector in Santa Fe made efforts to sustain jobs, and at the same time we have these figures that show the confidence of the private sector in what lies ahead," said the Minister of Productive Development, Gustavo Puccini.
In line with this, the Secretary of Industrial Development, Guillermo Beccani, remarked that "throughout the year we have been visiting companies, listening to industrialists, accompanying them in the most complex moments, and generating tools from the Secretariat to support the process that is coming: investment in technology and modernisation to face the challenges that the industry faces with the national economic measures".
Regarding the investment survey, Beccani explained that the investments are in 114 localities in the province, distributed in the 19 departments. In addition, the high presence of small and medium-sized companies from the interior of the province was highlighted, with a subgroup of 466 projects, which represent an amount of less than 200,000 dollars. As for the sectors that invested the most, manufacturing industry, cattle breeding and wintering, bovine milk production, cereal and oilseed cultivation, and mechanical harvesting services, among other activities, stand out.
On the other hand, Beccani explained that "the main investment destinations have to do with the construction and expansion of industrial plants, the acquisition of machinery and equipment aimed at increasing the production capacity of companies. That is, there is a private sector that is betting that the economy will rebound and is preparing to meet a greater demand, so we are optimistic" and added that also highlights "Projects aimed at expanding the generation of electricity, those aimed at expanding the accommodation capacity of companies in industrial and logistics parks, to industrialise agricultural products for the first time in Santa Fe, and those related to the development of the circular economy".
Public policies to promote industry
Puccini also stressed: "There was an active Ministry for the promotion and strengthening of the industrial sector in Santa Fe. The province has the capacity to supply all sectors of the economy at the national level, we have a strong cluster of agricultural machinery, companies linked to the provision of services and elements to the gas, mining and oil industries. Santa Fe has an infinite number of opportunities, and our industrialists see them, which is why they have invested in such a complex context.”
"We also understand that it is necessary for the State to accompany and encourage these investments, which is why we had an aggressive policy in the implementation of credit lines in the "Santa Fe Activa" programme, with interest rate financing and strategic alliances with the Santa Fe, Nación, BICE and Rosario municipal banks. In addition to the agreements with the Federal Investment Council", Puccini remarked. Among the lines implemented, the following stand out: "National Manufacturing Machinery-AgroActiva 2024"; "Investment-Credit to MiPymes, Carlos Pellegrini 2024"; "Livestock Sector, 2024", and "All Dairy Products, 2024". In addition, 53 projects were financed through the CFI.
Other strong tools of the Ministry linked to the sector were the programme Tecnoindustria 4.0 programme, with total funding for more than 900 innovation projects; the Industrial Promotion Regime; the Impulsa training programme - which implemented more than 5,700 courses oriented to the training needs of each productive sector and each region; the Business Rounds - both Santa Fe Business Forum that gathered more than 200 international buyers from 40 countries with around 1200 companies, as well as "Vincular Santa Fe" and the one oriented to Domestic Trade of the Central region -; and the strong impulse to the Gas, Oil and Mining Roundtable with the support to the cluster in different exhibitions at national level, the last one being the "Oil & Gas" in Neuquén.
