Alex Belaustegui, re-elected President of TECNALIA

Alex Belaustegui, representing Ingeteam, has been re-elected President of the TECNALIA research and technological development centre at the Board of Trustees meeting held at the Zamudio/Derio Campus of the Euskadi Technology Park.

Belaustegui, vice-president of the centre since 2016 and president since 2020, will continue in the post for the next four years.

On his appointment, Belaustegui stated that ‘these have been four years of great complexity, marked by the challenges we have faced as a society, including a pandemic, several armed conflicts, humanitarian and financial crises. In such a convulsive context, technology and innovation are now more strategic than ever, and efficient agents in their development and transfer, such as Tecnalia, have become essential. We face this new stage with enthusiasm and commitment, with the confidence that the support of companies and administrations gives us. TECNALIA, as a member of the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Network and the largest technology centre in Spain, is a tool at the service of companies and society. Our aim is to anticipate in order to boost economic and social impact through technological research and innovation and to make a sustainable future possible’.

An Electrical Industrial Engineer with an International MBA, he began his career in the EVE (Basque Energy Agency) and SENER engineering, and is currently Director of Corporate Development and Director of Ingeteam, where he began his professional career at the beginning of 2002. In 2010 he was appointed CEO of the then Head Division Indar within the Ingeteam Group, a position he held until 2019, when he moved to Ingeteam, S.A. as Director of Corporate Development and Manager of UP.

Meanwhile, Mª José Armendariz, representing Gestamp Automoción, will be Vice-Chairman of TECNALIA and Fernando Irigoyen, representing Kutxabank, will be the Secretary.

New Board of Trustees

At the meeting, the new Board of Trustees was also appointed, which has been configured as follows: ACLARA METERS S.L., Pedro Urteaga; AERNNOVA AEROSPACE SAU, Gemma Ortiz de Barrón; ARTECHE CENTRO DE TECNOLOGÍA A.I.E., Alexander Artetxe; AYESA IBERMATICA, S.A.U., José Manuel Barrutia; CEMENTOS LEMONA, S.A., Elena Guede; CIE AUTOMOTIVE, S.A., Jose Esmoris; FCC CONSTRUCCIÓN, S.A., Antonio Burgueño; FEDERACIÓN ESPAÑOLA DE ASOCIACIONES DE FUNDIDORES, Marcial Alzaga; GESTAMP AUTOMOCIÓN S.A., María José Armendariz; GRUPO IGUALMEQUISA S.A., Nicolás Guerra; IBARMIA INNOVATEK S.L., Arrate Olaiz; IBERDROLA, S.A., Estibaliz Goñi; INGETEAM, S.A., Alex Belaustegui; IRIZAR, S.COOP., Imanol Rego; IVÁN MARTÉN ULIARTE; KUTXABANK, S.A., Fernando Irigoyen; LOINTEK INGENIERIA Y TECNICAS DE MONTAJES S.L.U., Javier Loroño; PATENTES TALGO, S.L., Rafael Sterling; PETRÓLEOS DEL NORTE, S.A. (PETRONOR), Jose Ignacio Zudaire; SENER INGENIERÍA Y SISTEMAS, S.A., Itziar Urrutia; TUBACEX, S.A., Diego Herrero; VALORIZA SERVICIOS MEDIOAMBIENTALES S.A., David Redondo; VELATIA, S.L., Javier Larrieta; VICINAY MARINE, S.L.U., Jesús Navas.

The Institutional Trustees will be represented by the following persons: Juan Cruz Cigudosa, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities of the GENERAL STATE ADMINISTRATION; on behalf of the BASQUE GOVERNMENT, Jaione Ganzarain, Vice-Minister of Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Alberto Fernández, Director of Technology and Innovation, Enrique Peiró, Vice-Minister of Health, and Adolfo Morais, Vice-Minister of Research and Universities; Ander Larrinaga, Director of Economic Development and Innovation of the Provincial Council of ARABA; Joseba Mariezkurrena, Director General of Entrepreneurship and Business Competitiveness of the Provincial Council of BIZKAIA; and Jon Gurruchaga, Director of Innovation and Internationalisation of the Provincial Council of GIPUZKOA.

In addition, the new Board of Trustees has appointed the following entities as honorary members: University of the Basque Country / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao City Council, Donostia – San Sebastián City Council, Vitoria – Gasteiz City Council, ADEGI Business Association of Gipuzkoa, CEBEK Business Confederation of Bizkaia and SEA Empresarios Alaveses.

About TECNALIA

TECNALIA is the largest applied research and technological development centre in Spain, a benchmark in Europe and a member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance. We collaborate with companies and institutions to improve their competitiveness, people’s quality of life and achieve sustainable growth. We do this thanks to people who are passionate about technology and committed to building a better society. The main areas of action are: smart manufacturing, digital transformation, energy transition, sustainable mobility, health and food, urban ecosystem and circular economy.

In the latest awareness and positioning study carried out by the European Research Survey ERS, in 2022, TECNALIA was ranked first in terms of R&D&I brand awareness.