Data study ·
AI adoption among Spanish SMEs reaches 4.1%
Original title, in Spanish: “La adopción de IA en las pymes españolas alcanza el 4,1%”
- Publication
- IT User (Spain)
- Author
- Unsigned
- Published on
- 6 October 2026 · read in the page metadata · updated on 5 October 2026
Summary
The IndesIA Barometer 2026, based on a sample of 131,554 Spanish industrial SMEs, finds that 4.1% of them use AI, up from 2.9% in 2025 and 2.1% in 2024. Adoption increases with company size: 6.5% for medium-sized companies (50-250 employees), 5.1% for small ones (10-50) and 3.6% for micro-businesses. Madrid (6.3%), Catalonia (4.9%) and the Basque Country (4.2%) lead. Decision-flow automation (31.4%) and generative AI (28.5%) are more widely used than machine learning (26.5%). Public investment reached €4.609 billion in 2025. Spain has 151,000 data and AI professionals, but 64.65% of job openings remain unfilled. SMEs that use AI are growing faster (7.25% versus 4.34%), yet 95.9% of SMEs still have no identified use of AI.
Summary based on the full text of the article.
Read the article on IT User →Figures cited
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4.1 %
share of Spanish industrial SMEs using AI in 2026
Spanish industrial SMEs, sample of 131,554 companies, 2026
« el 4,1% de las pymes ya utiliza estas tecnologías »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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2.1 %
share of SMEs using AI in 2024
Spanish industrial SMEs, 2024
« pasando del 2,1% en 2024 al 2,9% en 2025 »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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2.9 %
share of SMEs using AI in 2025
Spanish industrial SMEs, 2025
« pasando del 2,1% en 2024 al 2,9% en 2025 »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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6.5 %
AI adoption in medium-sized companies (50-250 employees)
Spanish industrial SMEs with 50 to 250 employees
« En las medianas de entre 50 y 250 empleados, alcanza el 6,5% »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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5.1 %
AI adoption in small companies (10-50 employees)
Spanish industrial SMEs with 10 to 50 employees
« frente al 5,1% en las pequeñas de entre 10 y 50 empleados »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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3.6 %
AI adoption in micro-businesses (fewer than 10 employees)
Spanish industrial micro-businesses with fewer than 10 employees
« y el 3,6% en las microempresas, con menos de 10 trabajadores »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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6.3 %
AI adoption in the Community of Madrid
industrial SMEs, Community of Madrid
« la Comunidad de Madrid lidera la adopción de IA entre las pymes, con un 6,3% »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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4.9 %
AI adoption in Catalonia
industrial SMEs, Catalonia
« seguida de Cataluña (4,9%) »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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4.2 %
AI adoption in the Basque Country
industrial SMEs, Basque Country
« y el País Vasco (4,2%) »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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28.5 %
share of SMEs using generative AI, among those that use AI
Spanish industrial SMEs that use AI
« la IA generativa (28,5%) y la automatización de flujos de decisión (31,4%) están ganando protagonismo frente a soluciones como el machine learning (26,5%) »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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31.4 %
share of SMEs using decision-flow automation, among those that use AI
Spanish industrial SMEs that use AI
« la automatización de flujos de decisión (31,4%) »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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26.5 %
share of SMEs using machine learning, among those that use AI
Spanish industrial SMEs that use AI
« el machine learning (26,5%) »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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4,609 EUR million
public investment in AI in Spain in 2025
Spain, 2025
« en 2025, la inversión alcanzó los 4.609 millones de euros, un 0,5 % más que el año anterior »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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151,000 people
number of data and AI professionals in Spain
Spain
« España cuenta con 151.000 profesionales de datos e IA, pero la demanda supera ampliamente la oferta »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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7.7 %
share of AI talent working in SMEs with fewer than 49 employees
Spain, AI talent
« solo el 7,7% del talento de IA trabaja en pymes de menos de 49 empleados »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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64.65 %
share of unfilled AI job openings
Spain
« el 64,65% de las ofertas de IA no llega a cubrirse »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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2.9 percentage points
sales growth gap between SMEs using AI and other SMEs
Spanish industrial SMEs
« las pymes que utilizan IA registran un crecimiento de ventas 2,9 puntos porcentuales superior al de aquellas que no la emplean »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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7.25 %
sales growth of SMEs using AI
Spanish industrial SMEs that use AI
« las pymes con IA crecen un 7,25%, frente al 4,34% de las que no la usan »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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4.34 %
sales growth of SMEs not using AI
Spanish industrial SMEs that do not use AI
« frente al 4,34% de las que no la usan »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
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95.9 %
share of Spanish SMEs with no identified use of AI
Spanish industrial SMEs, 2026
« el 95,9% de las pymes españolas sigue sin uso identificado de IA »
Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
Classification
- Country
- Spain
- Company size
- Micro-businesses, SMEs
- Industries
- Industry and manufacturing
- Companies
- IndesIA (study author)
- Keywords
- industrial SMEs, barometer, AI adoption, generative AI, AI talent, public investment
Entry written by Marsanne Studio from the cited article, with the help of an AI model (claude-sonnet-5). The rights to the article and its illustrations belong to IT User. Entry translated from French by Claude Sonnet 5.5.