Official Azkoyen sources reveal that the Group will invest around 100 million euros in the next five years in the improvement of products and facilities, and another 7 million euros in the next four years in research and development. This area is considered a "priority in our activities".

Having one's own technology, from research to industrial applications, "means a major effort in terms of human and technical resources", and by next year "we hope to maintain the level of activity, following our policy of expansion in products and markets".

Forecasts for the next few years "are optimistic", claim the sources, based on the fact that the incorporation of new products and the diversification of product lines "will clearly offset" the euro effect. The approach will continue to be one of expansion, with balanced development and rigorous cost control.

The firm decision of the Azkoyen Group to go for research and technological development is significant.. Last year it allocated 6.6 million euros to R&D, 3.7% of the group's turnover. This percentage is even more remarkable if we compare it with the percentage of GDP allocated to R&D in Spain (0.9%), Germany (2.3%), Italy (1.04%), France (2.18%) or the United Kingdom (1.83%) according to the COTEC report for 2001.