Zabala Innovation Opens New Headquarters in Málaga to Boost Business R&D
The consultancy aims to enhance innovation investment in Andalusia, highlighting Málaga's technological dynamism.
By Rafael Ortega Camacho
••4 min read
AI
Facade of a modern innovation consultancy headquarters in Málaga.
Zabala Innovation has opened a new headquarters in Málaga, strengthening its commitment to Andalusia and its business and technological ecosystem.
Zabala Innovation has established its new headquarters in Málaga, aiming to strengthen its presence in Andalusia and be closer to one of Spain's most dynamic business and technological ecosystems. The office will assist companies, institutions, and knowledge agents in developing innovation strategies, investment projects, and in securing national and European public funding.
This opening occurs amidst economic growth in Andalusia, which recorded a GDP of 234,218 million euros and 3.2% real growth in 2025. However, the region still has room to increase business R&D investment, which represented 37.56% of regional spending in 2024, compared to the national average of 56.01%. Zabala Innovation sees this scenario as an opportunity to connect Andalusia's scientific and technological capacity with greater knowledge transfer and investment.
Málaga was chosen due to the significant growth of its technological ecosystem. Málaga TechPark closed 2025 with 29,018 employees and a turnover of 4,896 million euros, an increase of 17.11% from the previous year. Companies and institutions within the park invested over 255 million euros in R&D, a 36.2% rise. This momentum solidifies Málaga as a technological hub with growing national and international projection, particularly in areas like digital content and semiconductors.
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"Málaga brings together many of the necessary elements to take a new leap in innovation: scientific capacity, talent, technology companies, investment, and a clear international vocation. We want to be close to this ecosystem to help turn these capabilities into new projects, investment, and business growth, connecting strategy, innovation, and funding."
The new headquarters also responds to the growth of Zabala Innovation's activity in the region. The company, already present in Seville, has seen a progressive increase in its business in Málaga and Granada over the last four years, currently representing about 30% of its activity in Andalusia. The office, led by Daniel García, aims to strengthen this relationship and provide direct support to organizations in the Málaga-Granada corridor.
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"Andalusia possesses extraordinary scientific and technological capacity. The next challenge is to ensure that an ever-larger portion of this knowledge translates into transfer, business investment, and scalable projects. Málaga is advancing particularly rapidly in this direction, and we want to contribute to accelerating that process from within the territory."
The inauguration gathered around thirty representatives from the business, academic, and institutional spheres at The Green Ray. The event included a discussion on "Funding, Strategy, and Innovation to Boost Málaga's Ecosystem," featuring F. Javier López Muñoz, Vice-Rector for Technological Innovation and Strategic Projects at the University of Málaga, and Clara Galvez, Director of Control and Contracting at Malaga TechPark, moderated by Daniel García.
Participants agreed on the need to facilitate interaction between companies, universities, administrations, and innovation agents so that generated knowledge transforms into new business initiatives. The role of entities that connect these areas and support the process from R&D to business application was highlighted. Erik Zabala summarized this idea with the expression: "without VAT, there is no innovation," emphasizing that innovation must translate into market-ready products and solutions.
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"Málaga has the actors of the quadruple helix—university, businesses, public administrations, and society—but it is not enough for them to be present: it is essential that they interact. This connection is what allows knowledge transfer, the generation of new projects, and the entire journey from research and development to products reaching the market. The incorporation of Zabala Innovation into the Málaga ecosystem can contribute to strengthening these links and fostering new initiatives that benefit the entire city."
The opening in Málaga occurs during a period of growth for Zabala Innovation, which has expanded its presence in Portugal, incorporated Proyecta Innovación and its Alcoy headquarters, and recently entered Poland through the acquisition of ECDF. The company now has over 670 professionals and its new Málaga office joins an international network with local knowledge. The inauguration coincides with the 40th anniversary of Zabala Innovation, founded in 1986.
