Critical Technologies and Industrial Capabilities: National Definition and Policy Implications. The Spanish Case

In Spain, the concept of critical technologies is limitedly mentioned in strategies and policies. Industrial policies touch on the need to bond industrial and technological capabilities, with no reference to criticality levels. The revised 2021 National Security Strategy does it once, although it plans new monitoring mechanisms on capacities and dependencies which might be promising only if it is able to shortlist critical technologies and other categories. The FDI Screening Mechanism is the only tool which clearly defines and makes a distinction with regards to critical technologies, building on EU’s policies. Policy recommendations are to complete its capabilities mapping with a clear matrix of categories, and to venture to prioritize some technologies over others…