The Chamber of Commerce of the Campo de Gibraltar has presented its activity report for the year 2025, a year in which the chamber has registered an average growth of 19% in its overall activity compared to the previous year. The institution led by Carlos Fenoy has directly served 1,469 companies and entrepreneurs, with an economic injection of 784,062 euros in direct aid to the local productive fabric, representing an increase of 29% in this area. Additionally, the Chamber has channeled government aid amounting to over 2,775,000 euros, benefiting more than 1,900 companies in the area.
The Training and Employment area has concentrated a significant part of the chamber's activities, with an executed budget of 2,619,659 euros and an increase of 126% compared to the previous year. Throughout 2025, the Chamber has trained over 1,700 students through various programs, to which are added another 1,130 participants in awareness actions, reaching a total of 2,830 people. The Young Talent program, endowed with nearly one million euros, has qualified 339 young people, while the Talent 45+ program has facilitated professional retraining for 196 unemployed people over 45 years old. In this area, the entity has allocated 90,000 euros in direct aid for hiring and managed 285 job offers during the year.
The ninth edition of the Employment Fair, held in Algeciras, brought together more than 240 young participants and had to close registration due to capacity limitations. During this fair, around 250 job offers were processed. Additionally, two editions of the Employment Fair were organized for the Talent 45+ program, in which 218 unemployed people over that age participated.
In the field of entrepreneurship, the Chamber has advised 413 entrepreneurs through programs such as Women Entrepreneurs, Spain Emprende, and INCIBE Emprende, representing a 29% increase compared to 2024. The support activity for business creation has resulted in the establishment of 78 new companies, of which 42 were processed directly through the online incorporation platform, a system that allows freelancers to register immediately and commercial companies to complete all procedures within approximately 48 hours.
The Innovation and Digitalization area has channeled an investment of 512,500 euros in aid and technological modernization programs for SMEs. During the year, 55 implementation plans for advanced solutions have been executed through initiatives such as SME Innova, SME Digital, and SME Cybersecure, as well as new programs like Social Selling and the Start Up Seed Capital project. The Accelerate SME Office has advised 198 companies in the scope of the Digital Kit, with sessions that have brought together more than 480 attendees. The entity has issued 445 digital certificates and has maintained its role in digital administration.
In collaboration with the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE), the Chamber has developed the INCIBE Emprende program, featuring actions for attraction, incubation, and acceleration in the field of cybersecurity, including 10 express acceleration programs. The entity's digital coworking space has hosted 46 technology-based companies, also serving as a venue for the incubation initiatives of the INCIBE program. Additionally, in collaboration with the Provincial Council of Cádiz, six innovative business projects have been supported with incentives of up to 25,000 euros each, and a Social Selling program has been launched that has benefited 18 companies with audiovisual materials and specialized training to enhance their digital presence. In the final stages of the year, the Chamber began developing SulMarket Tech, a digital platform aimed at supporting the sale of local commerce, initially involving 30 establishments.
Internationalization has recorded one of the most significant increases of the year, with a 24% rise in activity. The Chamber has allocated 181,562 euros in direct aid to facilitate the international outreach of local businesses, granting 72 travel scholarships. In total, more than 70 companies have participated in external promotion actions, which have included trade missions to China — with presentations from the port community in Beijing, Ningbo, and Shanghai — and to Singapore, where a presentation was held before more than a hundred companies with the support of the local port authority. The entity has maintained its presence at major international fairs such as Breakbulk Europe in Rotterdam, Nor-Shipping in Oslo, and Fruit Logistica in Berlin, in addition to participating in missions in Colombia and Peru. The year concluded with the celebration of the Hispano-Moroccan Meeting, an event organized by the Spanish Chamber in Tangier that brings together companies and logistics centers from both sides of the Strait. In terms of foreign trade documentation, the Chamber issued 1,791 documents throughout the year.
Among other activities developed during 2025, the Chamber organized the ninth edition of the SME of the Year Award together with the chambers of commerce in the province of Cádiz, which took place in Algeciras this time. An Innovation Fair was also held, where various companies presented their technological innovations to a large audience. The entity paid tribute to the Higher Technical School of Engineering of Algeciras on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, recognizing its training work and its contribution to the business fabric of the area. Also, the Chamber renewed its ISO certifications in quality, environmental management, and information security, and received the Don Bosco Medal from the alumni association of the Salesian school.
The entity also participated in the program The Strength of Rural Spain, a national initiative in which chambers of commerce analyze the strengths of each region. In the case of the Campo de Gibraltar, the debate included the participation of people linked to various fields of the region, such as sports, science, and history, leading the Chamber to consider the possibility of turning it into an annual meeting forum.
Fenoy took the opportunity to address two issues of special relevance for the future of the region. Regarding the treaty on Gibraltar, the Chamber's president pointed out that the text, which exceeds 1,000 pages written in English, has recently been made known, and lamented that no progress, summaries, or extracts by sectors have been provided that would allow society to know in advance how the agreement would affect them. Fenoy indicated that, while some aspects related to VAT that will be applied and customs mechanisms are known, there remain numerous uncertainties regarding the part related to the "shared prosperity" announced, as well as labor issues linked to contributions and pensions, and the treatment of environmental matters, which, in his opinion, are barely addressed in the document.
The president of the Chamber has expressed concern over the lack of reciprocity in business activity between both sides of the border, pointing out that while Gibraltar companies have operated unrestricted in the region for decades, Spanish companies do not find the same facilities to establish themselves in the Rock. Fenoy also noted that the ratification process could take longer, since the treaty must be approved by the parliaments of the 27 member states of the European Union, in addition to the United Kingdom and Gibraltar's own parliament. Personally, the president lamented the absence of an ambassador from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the area for years who could convey the reality of the territory to the central government and considered that the current pace of the process is excessively accelerated after six years of negotiations.
Regarding the second issue, Fenoy announced that the Chamber will present the results of a study commissioned on the economic structure of the region in that month, whose main novelty is the proposal to create a Special Economic Zone for the Campo de Gibraltar. As explained, this tool, contemplated by European Union regulations, allows for the establishment of a more favorable regime for investments and taxation, and is already operational in countries like Italy, Poland, and Lithuania, in addition to the Canary Islands, which have had a special regime since Spain's accession treaty. Fenoy emphasized that this figure requires the Government of Spain to promote it before Brussels and highlighted the opportunity to leverage the geostrategic position of the region, establishing a parallel with the development experienced by Tangier in terms of transport infrastructure compared to the stagnation of the Spanish side of the Strait.
