IndustriAll Europe is stepping up its monitoring of how the green and digital transitions are reshaping Europe’s industrial base. With our Just Transition Manifesto, we have set out clear conditions for a transformation that is fair for ALL workers, that “does not destroy but preserves and creates good quality jobs”, and that is “anticipated, managed and negotiated with workers for every aspect that concerns them”.

This is the second article in our new Just Transition mini series based on country fact-files prepared by Syndex for our Fair Transformation workshop for Southern Europe. Spain is among the countries showing significant progress in the twin transition — but the findings reveal important risks that should not be overlooked.

Spain’s transition is moving forward

The fact-file shows that more than a quarter of Spain’s energy consumption came from renewable sources in 2024, with the shift to renewables advancing faster than the EU average. Digitalisation is also accelerating: more than a third of manufacturing companies now have a high or very high degree of digital intensity, while the use of artificial intelligence is growing rapidly across industry.
However, progress is uneven. Spain’s significant automotive sector is making a relatively slow transition to electric vehicles, and employment in high- and medium-tech manufacturing remains stagnant at around 4% of total employment — significantly below the EU average.

Industrial employment is growing, but key sectors remain under pressure

Spain’s economy has performed strongly in terms of job creation. Manufacturing added around 184,000 jobs between 2019 and 2025, despite a slight decline in the sector’s share of total employment.
Yet developments have not been positive across all industries. In several sectors exposed to the green transition — including glass, steel and chemicals — production remains below pre-pandemic levels, with glass and steel, continuing to decline throughout 2025. Trade unions also express concern about delayed investments and the lack of concrete implementation of many industrial transformation plans.

Strong social dialogue provides a solid foundation

Spain is one of the few European countries with a coherent Just Transition Strategy that gives trade unions a central role in implementation. Tripartite agreements supporting coal phase-outs have helped protect workers and affected regions, and similar approaches are planned for future industrial restructuring, including the nuclear transition.

A new Just Transition Strategy is currently being negotiated with union involvement, while a forthcoming Law on Industry and Strategic Autonomy would introduce new tools to anticipate restructuring, preserve employment and support reindustrialisation. Spanish trade unions are also increasingly active in addressing the implications of artificial intelligence and algorithmic management.

While national-level social dialogue and collective bargaining are widely recognised as good practice, workplace-level engagement remains uneven. In many small and medium-sized companies, discussions on digitalisation, AI and the green transition are still limited.

IndustriAll Europe’s message

Spain has demonstrated that ambitious climate policies and social dialogue can go hand in hand. But progress cannot be taken for granted. Delayed investments, challenges in key manufacturing sectors and uneven worker involvement risk slowing the transition.
Workers must not be on the menu,but have a seat at the table when planning decarbonisation and digitalisation. With sustained industrial investment and meaningful social dialogue at all levels, Spain can continue building a sustainable industrial future that leaves no worker or region behind.