At the INDUDEF defense industry congress in Córdoba, Rocío Blanco urged local companies and workers to prepare for supply chains linked to the future Base Logística del Ejército de Tierra. The consejera de Empleo, Empresa y Trabajo Autónomo said the base could bring new investment and jobs, but only if businesses can take part.
Blanco made the case during a visit to the exhibition area. She met representatives of companies and trade unions at the stands, alongside public officials, and recognised UGT FICA and the Fundación Manuel Fernández 'Lito' for bringing them together with the Ayuntamiento de Córdoba.
A provincial assessment identified 47 Córdoba companies across 11 areas that could participate almost immediately in defense-related tenders. The BLET is being presented as more than a military facility. Blanco said it could generate demand across the province, from services to technology and industrial support. The mayor of Córdoba has said the city pursued the project for around five and a half years. EFE reported that it is now moving from planning towards practical implementation.
That shift could give existing businesses room to expand and make Córdoba more attractive to companies weighing new investment. Small and medium-sized firms may have the most to gain by providing services or developing technology, while joining the defense industry's supply chain.
The procurement process has already brought major contracts into the province. The largest construction lot, worth about 278.52 million euros, went to the Dragados-Heliopol-Magtel joint venture. Ferrovial Construcción-Vías y Construcciones won a second lot worth 65.6 million euros. The economic effect can begin before the base opens, with construction work under way and purchasing and subcontracting to follow.
Andalusia has a sizeable defense industry behind the project. Blanco said the region is Spain's second defense-industry hub, with 17% of national turnover, worth 3.135 billion euros, and more than 38,300 jobs. Independent reporting puts the regional industrial base at roughly 3,100 companies, compared with around 18,000 across Spain. These figures put the BLET in a regional industrial context, beyond its role as a Córdoba project.
Andalusia and the Ministry of Defense have agreed to let vocational students undertake practical training at the Parque y Centro de Mantenimiento de Vehículos de Rueda No. 2 in El Higuerón, an installation considered part of the future BLET’s core. The training covers vehicle transport and maintenance, alongside mechanics, electrical engineering and electronics.
People may prove harder to line up than buildings. Companies will need qualified staff for the industrial environment around the base, and training will have to match those jobs. A dedicated BLET training project is being developed to connect labour-market courses with company needs.
That work will require coordination among training institutions and the University, as well as companies, economic and social organisations, and public administrations. Infrastructure alone will not put local firms inside the supply chain. The agreement allowing vocational students to train at the El Higuerón maintenance centre gives the plan a direct link to a Ministry of Defense facility.
The same shift towards technology is visible in Spain's factory sector. Investment tends to go further when businesses and workers develop alongside it.
UGT FICA says the BLET should be treated as an industrial project that can attract companies and support new idea, while creating stable skilled jobs. The union also wants decent pay and ongoing training, along with equal opportunities and compliance with occupational-safety rules. INDUDEF gave those groups a place to compare needs and seek business opportunities.
A legal challenge could still delay construction. The OHL-Sando-Itercon joint venture challenged the award of the two major lots before the Tribunal Administrativo Central de Recursos Contractuales. The appeal triggered a mandatory precautionary suspension. Work had initially been expected to begin at the end of October, but ABC reported that the delay could last several months.
The contracts show how money can start moving before the base becomes operational. The legal dispute also puts the timetable under pressure.
Logistics has another clear limit. The Ministry of Defense rejected a plan for a railway terminal inside the base, citing operational reasons. It said rail is not used for the ordinary movement of logistics materials between army units and companies, or between them and the central bodies of the land forces.
That decision leaves the BLET's wider industrial potential intact, but it will shape how companies and public authorities plan the movement of supplies and equipment around the future hub.
Córdoba now has a concrete chance, but the project will not deliver it on its own. Public institutions and firms will need to build the workforce and supplier network around the base, working with unions, the University and training centres. Europa Press reported that major contractors have been selected, potential local suppliers identified and vocational training linked to Ministry of Defense infrastructure.
