The digital economy will represent 26% of Spain's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2026, two percentage points more than in the previous year, totaling 455.3 billion euros, according to the Study of Economic and Business Digitization prepared by Advice Strategic Consultants.
The report emphasizes that the digital economy in Spain is advancing at a faster pace than the overall economic activity and that, by 2026, the country has left behind the "digital start-up" phase to enter a period of maturity, characterized by greater technological adoption, more infrastructure, and a growing weight of digital businesses.
In this scenario, large corporations are consolidating as the main driver of digitalization in the Spanish business fabric, thanks to their investment capacity, their role in the logistics chain, and data management, generating "multiplier effects" on the rest of the economy.
Fundación 'La Caixa' (CriteriaCaixa), El Corte Inglés, CaixaBank, Inditex, Santander, Telefónica, Cellnex Telecom, Mercadona, Iberdrola, and Meliá Hotels are among the companies that contribute most to the boost of the digital economy, digitalization, and digital transformation in Spain.
Specifically, Fundación 'La Caixa' stands out for its initiatives to reduce the digital divide, El Corte Inglés for its strong commitment to Artificial Intelligence and intelligent logistics, and Inditex for its digital fashion standards, which set the pace for its network of suppliers.
"Ten large entities have assumed a central role not only as agents that digitize their own activity, but as a driving force for the economy towards digitalization," explained the managing partner of Advice Strategic Consultants, Jorge Díaz Cardiel.
According to the study, this process has led to a more advanced business ecosystem, in which the implementation of technologies such as AI, cloud, and Big Data has become an almost essential condition for competing.
The pending challenges of digital transformation in Spain
Advice's analysis also focuses on the challenges that still persist in the country's digital transformation, especially in terms of productivity and the digital divide, which affects older people, vulnerable groups, and small SMEs more intensely.
Despite this, the figures show a notable acceleration in the incorporation of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cloud computing, into the business fabric.
The most relevant indicator is that of AI, already used by 21.1% of Spanish companies, which represents an increase of 8.8 percentage points compared to the previous year. The progress is observed in all segments, although it is especially pronounced in large and medium-sized companies.
The penetration of AI is greater in companies with more than 250 employees and in sectors such as information and communications, where it reaches 31.6% in predictive AI and 45.7% in generative AI, while in sectors such as agriculture and construction, adoption remains below 10%.
Data analytics also shows significant growth, increasing from 31.4% to 41.4%, as does cloud computing, which rises from 37.7% to 44.3%. Added to this is the progress of electronic information exchange or ERP, which now reaches 63.6% of companies.
Digitalization is also perceived in everyday aspects of business management. 99% of companies have an Internet connection, 84.5% have a website, and 69.7% use social networks or media. Furthermore, 16.8% incorporate ICT specialists into their staff, and 28.9% opt for technological solutions aimed at reducing energy consumption.