---
title: "Candeleda: free AI day for SMEs and self-employed professionals — Marsanne Studio AI watch"
description: "A free day on AI automation for SMEs in the Valle del Tiétar highlights that only 4.1% of Spanish industrial SMEs actually use AI."
url: "https://marsanne.studio/en/ai-watch/candeleda-free-ai-day-for-smes-and-self-employed-d88f1b/"
lang: "en"
---

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Data study · 2 October 2026

# Candeleda: free AI day for SMEs and self-employed professionals

Original title, in Spanish: “Candeleda: jornada de IA gratuita para pymes y autónomos – El Ecosistema Startup”

**Publication**

El Ecosistema Startup (Spain)

**Author**

Unsigned

**Published on**

2 October 2026 · read in the page structured data

## Summary

On 6 October, Candeleda (Ávila) hosts a free introductory day on AI automation, organised by the Oficina Acelera Pyme of CEOE Ávila for SMEs and self-employed professionals in the Valle del Tiétar. According to the IndesIA Barometer 2026, based on 131,554 companies, only 4.1% of Spanish industrial SMEs actually use AI, compared with 2.1% in 2024 and 2.9% in 2025. Adoption varies by size (6.5% for medium-sized companies, 3.6% for micro-businesses) and by region (Madrid leads with 6.3%). According to the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, 45.3% of companies do not use AI and do not plan to, while only 5.3% have integrated it strategically. Spanish public investment in AI reached €4.609 billion in 2025.

Summary based on the full text of the article.

[Read the article on El Ecosistema Startup →](https://ecosistemastartup.com/candeleda-jornada-de-ia-gratuita-para-pymes-y-autonomos/)

## Figures cited

-   4.1 %
    
    share of Spanish industrial SMEs actually using AI in 2026
    
    Spanish industrial SMEs, sample of 131,554 companies, 2026
    
    > « solo el 4,1% de las pymes industriales españolas utiliza inteligencia artificial de forma real »
    
    Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
    
-   2.1 %
    
    change in AI adoption among Spanish industrial SMEs
    
    Spanish industrial SMEs, 2024
    
    > « se pasó del 2,1% en 2024 al 2,9% en 2025 y al 4,1% en 2026 »
    
    Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
    
-   6.5 %
    
    AI adoption in medium-sized companies (50-250 employees)
    
    Spanish medium-sized companies, 50-250 employees
    
    > « la implantación alcanza el 6,5% en las medianas (50-250 empleados), cae al 5,1% en las pequeñas (10-50) y se desploma al 3,6% en las microempresas de menos de diez trabajadores »
    
    Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
    
-   6.3 %
    
    AI adoption by region in Spain, Madrid
    
    Comunidad de Madrid
    
    > « La Comunidad de Madrid lidera con un 6,3% de adopción, seguida de Cataluña (4,9%) y el País Vasco (4,2%) »
    
    Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
    
-   45.3 %
    
    share of Spanish companies not using AI and not planning to
    
    Spanish companies
    
    > « el 45,3% de las empresas españolas no utiliza IA ni prevé hacerlo a corto plazo, y solo un 5,3% la tiene integrada de forma amplia o estratégica »
    
    Source: GuIA para pymes, Cámara de Comercio de España
    
-   4,609 EUR million
    
    public investment in AI in Spain in 2025
    
    Spain, 2025
    
    > « la inversión pública en IA en España alcanzó 4.609 millones de euros en 2025 (un 0,5% más que el año anterior) »
    
    Source: Barómetro IndesIA 2026
    

## Classification

**Country**

Spain

**Company size**

Micro-businesses, SMEs

**Industries**

All industries, or industry not specified · Industry and manufacturing

**Companies**

Itecam (cited), Red.es (cited), CEOE Ávila (cited), Cámara de Comercio de España (study author)

**Keywords**

smes, automation, ai adoption, public funding, spain, industry

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 El Ecosistema Startup. Entry translated from French by Claude Sonnet 5.5.