embers of a U.S. trade mission to Spain in June saw a country very much in transition. Federal and regional governments have invested substantially in the infrastructure necessary for attracting innovation industries, even as legacy industries, such as automotive and machine tool manufacturing, remain strong. Examples are a growing, national high-speed train network, urban developments like Valencia's signature Science Museum (above) and a network of technology centers dedicated to industrial sectors. All of which is transforming Spain's economy against the backdrop of its many historical and cultural amenities (see the Aragon Editorial Profile on p. 642 for more on this very old-very new dichotomy).
   "We are changing from a low-cost country to a very developed country with attractive new industrial sectors, and during this transition, we have elements of both," says Antonio Hernandez, chief strategy manager at Interes Invest in Spain, the national economic development agency. Sectors with sizzle today include biotechnology, aerospace and renewable energy, among others.
   Construction began in June, for example, on a fourth wind energy facility in Spain for Vestas – this one is a blade-manufacturing facility in Daimiel in the province of Castilla-LaMancha south of Madrid. The Danish energy company also operates nacelle assembly plants in Viviero and Villadangos and a control systems facility in Olvega, in addition to numerous production facilities elsewhere in Europe and Asia.    "All of our competitors around the world are ramping up production, just as we are," says Ebbe Funk, president of Vestas Mediterranean, in Barcelona. "Demand for capacity is growing at about 20 percent per year, so we must invest in order to meet that demand."
   The 30,000-sq.-m. (323,000-sq.-ft.) factory will be able to produce 1,200 blades per year when it opens in mid-2008; about 400 people will work there. The Castilla-LaMancha province already is a significant location for wind energy.
   Vestas has installed three wind power plants with a capacity of more than 80 MW. The company also is in the process of installing more than 100 turbines in several wind power plants in the area, which will boost capacity to 300 MW. At 2,300 MW overall, the province ranks second in installed capacity among Spain's 17 autonomous regions.
   "Spain has advantages over other markets," says Funk. The Spanish government's support of renewable energy initiatives is substantial, he says, with royal decrees and other measures in place to ensure stability in the energy market.
   "That's good for everyone involved," he says. "Spain is a big market for wind energy and a stable market."