The problems of autarkic military industrialization and its restructuring in Franco’s Spain: a case study on the National Company of Optics (ENOSA)

The National Industrial Institute (INI) was founded as an instrument for State control of the economy in a context of autarky typical of the early years of Franco’s regime. Its corporate philosophy and actions were similar to other economic policies of that time, both in Europe and in the United States. Among the enterprises linked to this holding, the National Company of Optics (ENOSA) was created in 1950 with the participation of military and scientific institutions. The company aimed to manufacture lenses and precision instruments for the Army using domestic technology. However, it failed to reduce its dependence on imports, particularly from Germany. After many difficulties, it was restructured in 1961, and its production diversified towards the fabrication of teaching materials. We have addressed the history of ENOSA as a case study on the failure of the autarkic industrialization model and the reorganization that the INI companies had to tackle in response to the new socio-economic conditions of developmentalism. In conclusion, we can say that ENOSA was a failed experiment in creating a national technology company. However, it did eventually achieve notable projection in the field of educational innovation