BIC Bizkaia celebrates its 10th anniversary with 65 companies created, 500 jobs created and a turnover of 175 million euros

The Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability of the Basque Government, Mikel Jauregi, opened the ceremony celebrating the tenth anniversary of BIC Bizkaia – a business incubator specialising in bio-micro-nano technologies, advanced manufacturing and clean technologies – which was closed by the Provincial Councillor of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe.

The BIC Bizkaia incubator, promoted by the Basque Government and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and managed by Beaz, celebrated its tenth anniversary at the Zamudio/Derio Campus of the Euskadi Technology Park. The centre, which specialises in high added value sectors such as bio-micro-nano technologies, advanced manufacturing and clean technologies, has consolidated its position as a benchmark in the creation and acceleration of innovative business projects.

The event was opened by the Basque Government’s Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregi, and closed by the Deputy General of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe. The balance of the incubator’s activity since its creation in October 2014 includes:

65 highly innovative companies created, using technologies in robotisation, additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, new materials and medical devices, among others.
500 jobs generated in Bizkaia, with 20% of the teams made up of people with PhDs.
175 million euros invoiced by these companies by the end of 2023.
48% of the entrepreneurial teams are made up of women, a figure that underlines BIC Bizkaia’s commitment to gender equality in business.
Mikel Jauregi, Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability of the Basque Government, stressed that ‘BIC Bizkaia is a successful project based on inter-institutional collaboration, which has spent a decade providing continuous support to our entrepreneurs and startups, helping them to overcome challenges and turn their ideas into viable and successful companies. BIC Bizkaia’s specialisation in strategic areas such as biotechnology, medical technologies and advanced manufacturing makes it a unique benchmark and centre that enhances the strengths of the Basque Country as a country and prepares us for the challenges of the future. It is clear to us that the technology-based entrepreneurship we are working on here is key to tackling the energy transition and digital transformation’.

The Provincial Councillor of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe, stressed that ‘Bizkaia, Euskadi needs more technology companies like those born in BIC Bizkaia, which provide added value and quality employment. Hence our great commitment to an advanced entrepreneurship model that offers entrepreneurs and startups a complete itinerary to define and develop differential value propositions that create quality jobs and drive growth’. ‘Projects such as BIC Bizkaia are essential to continue working towards an entrepreneurial Bizkaia, where anyone with an idea has the necessary support to develop it. A competitive Bizkaia that combines economic growth, social development and respect for the environment. A Bizkaia open to the world, internationally recognised as an attractive territory in which to invest, work and develop a life project. And a Bizkaia with talent. Because talent drives innovation and is the key to our well-being and competitiveness’, he said.

6,000 square metres of modern infrastructure

BIC Bizkaia has a modern 6,000 square metre infrastructure on the Zamudio/Derio Campus of the Euskadi Technology Park, equipped with clean rooms, technology laboratories, prototyping workshops and coworking spaces. This ecosystem is complemented by incubation programmes developed by Beaz, the support lines of the SPRI and the backing of the Euskadi Technology Park to promote networking. Collaboration with key agents such as the Basque Health Cluster and Tknika is also essential to promote advanced entrepreneurship and incorporate qualified talent into the incubated initiatives.

In these 10 years, BIC Bizkaia has been committed to STEM talent and scientific-technological training. More than 800 secondary and high school students have participated in the initiative to promote entrepreneurship Egin eta Ekin. In addition, since 2015, the centre has collaborated with the UPV/EHU’s Master’s Degree in Advanced Entrepreneurship, assisting 180 entrepreneurs. And in collaboration with Tknika, the Provider programme has been designed, which has raised awareness among 1,200 Vocational Training students and encouraged the creation of 59 business projects.

International recognition

BIC Bizkaia’s start-up support and acceleration model has attracted more than 8,500 people from international delegations from countries such as Croatia, Chile, the United States, Mexico and South Korea, among others. This interest has made it possible to attract 12 start-ups from other territories, consolidating BIC Bizkaia as a global innovation hub.

With ten years of experience, BIC Bizkaia reaffirms its commitment to the creation of highly innovative companies that lead the change towards an economy based on knowledge, innovation and sustainability.