Who we are
The Documentation Center (Centro de Documentación) is the unit of the state-owned industrial holding company Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI) whose task is to provide information about the economic and social environment in order to promote the efficiency of the activities of the Institution to which it is attached, as well as promoting access to the historical fonds and publications which it manages. It is with this goal in mind that we want to present this Web page which shall gradually expand so that it will include the information which we regard as having a significant interest for getting to know the evolution of Spanish industry during most of the XX century, since SEPI includes in its Historical Archive the fonds of the former INI.
The Instituto Nacional de Industria (National Institute for Industry) (INI), was incorporated by Act on September 25th, 1941. It was extinguished by Royal Law Decree 5/1995 together with the Instituto Nacional de Hidrocarburos (National Institute for Hydrocarbons) (INH), incorporated in 1981.
In 1992 it is decided to divide INI's industrial shareholdings between those which include those companies which had to operate in a competitive environment, which were put under the umbrella of TENEO S.A. while the companies subjected to reorganization and rationalization plans were kept in INI. In 1995 two public-law entities are incorporated, the Agencia Industrial del Estado (State Industrial Agency) (AIE) and the Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (State-Owned Industrial Holding Company) (SEPI). In 1996 takes place the incorporation of the company Sociedad de Participaciones Patrimoniales (SEPPa), based on the change of the social denomination of the company Sociedad Estatal de Patrimonio I and the acquisition of the Sociedad Estatal de Patrimonio II.
SEPI put together, on the one hand, TENEO, until its extinction in 1996 and on the other, the shareholdings which the State owned in Repsol, Enagas and Gas Natural (INH) and the INI's companies which recorded structural losses and which were attached to the AIE, eliminated on its turn in 1997.
The Library and the General Register began operating in 1942, reporting to the Library of the Subunit for Information and Statistics, which was attached to the Technical Department, and to the General Register of the Institute's Management. In 1976 it is proposed the creation of a Documentation Center, managed by the Studies Department, which includes the Library into its structure.
In 1995 the General Register and Archive is attached to the Documentation Center.
In 1996 work is began on the restoration and computerizing of the historical fonds of INI's General Register and Archive.
In 2001 the management of the totality of SEPI's historical fonds are handed over to the Documentation Center, which starts to study the condition and organization of each fund, beginning their documental treatment.