The ICT hypersector persists in its contraction in 2013

According to AMETIC's market analysis for the past year, the ICT hypersector experienced an aggregate drop of -4.7%, which reduced the business volume to 77,935 million euros.

AMETIC ha realizado un análisis del mercado interior vinculado al hipersector de las telecomunicaciones, tecnologías de la información, electrónica y contenidos digitales, correspondientes al año 2013, según el cual persiste una tendencia descendente que se mantuvo en el pasado ejercicio, con una caída del -4,7% en términos de mercado bruto, alcanzando un valor agregado de 77.935 millones de euros frente a los 81.742 millones de euros registrados en 2012.

Todos los sectores analizados, exceptuando segmentos específicos en el área de contenidos digitales (+0,2%) e ingresos anexos del sector telecomunicaciones (+9,9%), reiteraron descensos.

Thus, the turnover of telecommunications operators contracted by 7% to 32,787 million euros, registering falls in retail services, with a decrease in the fixed communications segment of -7.9% (9,254 million euros) and mobile communications of -11.1% (10,889 million euros), as wholesalers (contraction of -8.3% compared to 2012, reaching a value of 5,514 million euros).

The study carried out by AMETIC also shows a decrease in the Information Technology sector of -5.4%, placing the total turnover volume in the Spanish market at 14,626 million euros. The total figures of the IT sector are weighed down by the evolution of the hardware and services segments, which are further declining (experiencing contractions of -8.3% and -5.5% and business volumes of 3,976 and 7,832 million euros respectively). While the software segment registered a moderate fall of -1.1% (2,818 million euros).

The income obtained by radio and television operators (both of a commercial nature and from subsidies received) fell by -3.9% and stood at 3,613 million euros, while the rest of the active agents in the heterogeneous content sector collectively recorded a slight increase in their turnover of +0.2%, reaching 14,605 ​​million euros.

Finally, the industrial segments linked to electronics have substantially reduced the deep decline experienced in 2012. Despite this, the figures managed by AMETIC for the past year still reflect a severe decline in the consumer electronics market (-14.1%), putting its volume at 1,937 million euros; For its part, the electronic industry sector (which includes telecommunications equipment, components and professional electronics) recorded a turnover of 13,981 million euros, -1.4% less than the figure managed for the 2012 financial year.

Confidence in the future

Como continuación de los datos que arroja el hipersector TIC en 2013, la inclinación negativa continúa en 2014, con una ligera deceleración en el primer semestre del ejercicio del -3,3%. Pese a esta reiterada contracción, la patronal tecnológica tiene confianza en el futuro ya que la tardía entrada del sector en la crisis comporta un retraso en la recuperación que terminará llegando.

However, AMETIC has a much broader vision that goes beyond the limits of the sector itself. It affects the country project that we need to adhere to the digital revolution that is underway and that is pushing those economies that have embraced it to emerge from the crisis. In Spain, we have the obligation not to miss this train to achieve a recovery of the economy thanks to its digital transformation that offers advantages in different directions. For society, prosperity, well-being and sustainability; for the productive sectors, competitiveness, growth and employment; and for Public Administrations, efficiency and new services of greater scope.

AMETIC points out that the boost that digital transformation needs in our country involves, among other stimuli, rebalancing the sector's value chain, increasing public and private investments in R&D&i and resolving the inadequacy of the training of digital professionals. As well as facilitating ICT financing, both for companies in the sector and for productive sectors that decide to take the path towards digital.
Ensuring that the Government has a clear and firm digital strategy, decisively promoting the Digital Agenda for Spain, that the Public Administration reduces its decision periods and commits to a digitalization of itself and that the institutional framework does not hold back but rather promotes a virtuous circle of innovation and digital transformation are, for AMETIC, other necessary requirements.

Finally, the technological employers' association highlights the need for Spain to commit to ICT reindustrialization, for which it is essential to promote the deployment of infostructures with a focus on promoting investment, which would be helped by reducing tax pressure, as well as being able to act in a framework of full legal certainty.