Granite Cluster
The Granite Cluster is a non-profit association whose purpose is to represent the granite industry and its members, defend their interests and engage in related activities throughout the granite value chain
Aims of the Granite Cluster
-
To improve the perception and prestige of granite
-
To build up cohesion and collaboration in the industry
-
To help its members to internationalise and access new markets
-
To provide the industry with strategic abilities and tools for growth
-
To promote innovation
-
To back environmental protection
-
To foster protection of health and prevention of occupational risks
-
To foster social responsibility
Granite value chain
The Granite Cluster represents the granite value chain that begins in the quarry, continues in granite processing and transformation plants and ends when builders install the finished product.
Machinery firms form part of this whole process, in which the Granite Technology Centre plays an essential role as a technology partner to the Cluster to work on research and innovation throughout the process.
The Granite industry in figures
250.000
Tonnes of granite are extracted every year in O Porriño
5.000
Direct and indirect employees in the sphere of the Granite Cluster
201
Million € turnover in 2016 for companies in the Granite Cluster
2nd
Largest granite industry in Europe
101
Million € of processed granite exported from Galicia
75%
of Spanish processed granite exports come from Galicia
19
Million € of rough granite exported from Galicia
83%
of Spanish rough granite exports come from Galicia
History of the Galician granite industry
From an industrial point of view it was in the 20th century that granite became one of the most dynamic, rising industries in Galicia. Until the 70s the business basically consisted of quarrying, but from then on processing began to gain in importance. Extraction operations (quarries) were joined by the first processing plants.
The first business associations were set up.
In the mid-80s the processing business was consolidated in O Porriño (Pontevedrea) and the 90s saw the development of most of the stone machinery industry.
The Granite Cluster is among the 10 Galician clusters that participate in the Atclusters Galicia project supported by IGAPE (Regional Development Agency of Galicia), which enjoy recognition of excellence at European level (European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis) or national (Program of Innovative Business Groups of Minetur).
Galicia Calidade collaborates with the Granite Cluster in promoting the quality image of the offer of the granite sector in Galicia.
