Bilbao has been chosen as the venue for the National Industry Congress on February 4 and 5, which will visit five companies on the Zamudio/Derio Campus of the Basque Country Technology Park

Councillor Mikel Jauregi will participate in the inauguration, and BIC Bizkaia, Biolan, Cocoon, ITP, and Syngoi will be showcased as examples at the Zamudio/Derio Campus.

“Well done defines us” is the slogan of the 8th National Industry Congress, which will be held on February 4 and 5, and the Basque Country has been chosen as a model for this approach. The Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao will host these conferences organized by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, which aim to showcase “industrial quality at its best.” Basque Minister Mikel Jauregi will participate in the opening ceremony, which will be followed by two days of conferences, round tables, success stories, and visits to exemplary companies. A diverse and top-level selection has been chosen: BIC Bizkaia, Biolan, Cocoon, ITP Aero, and Syngoi, all located on the Zamudio/Derio Campus of the Basque Technology Park.

Registration for the conference is now open. Attendees will be able to participate in more than 30 round tables, with presentations by 90 experts, including inspiring leaders, leading brands, and institutions, who will discuss the issues with the greatest impact on the sector. Following the institutional opening ceremony attended by Minister Mikel Jauregi, the Mayor of Bilbao, Juan María Aburto, the Secretary of State for Industry, Jordi García Brustenga, and the President of the Spanish Association for Quality (AEC), Beatriz López Gil, there will be a session highlighting industry as the driving force behind the country, with representatives from various industrial regions.

Next, Lourdes Casanova, director of the Institute for Emerging Markets and professor at Cornell University, will talk about markets such as China, India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. This will be followed by a round table discussion focused on dual technologies for defense and industry. From there, parallel sessions will take place, with experts on topics such as patents, connectivity, R&D project management, efficiency, automation and digitization, construction, critical infrastructure, energy sovereignty, cybersecurity, renewable fuels, AI, talent and training, and the internationalization of industry in the Basque Country.

The second day, on the 5th, will begin by analyzing the measures needed to reduce dependence on third countries in strategic sectors. It will continue with a focus on financing, knowledge protection, and talent training, followed by a reflection on geopolitics, a round table with CEOs of leading brands, including Josu Jon Imaz from Repsol; the presentation of the National Industry Awards; and the closing ceremony with Minister Jordi Hereu and the Deputy General of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe.

Five visits to Basque companies at the Zamudio/Derio Campus of the Basque Country Technology Park

The agenda includes visits to five Basque companies that exemplify the conference slogan: “What we do well defines us.” On the afternoon of the 4th, there will be a visit to BIC Bizkaia, one of the main incubation and acceleration spaces for innovative projects in the Basque Country. It is promoted by the Basque Government and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. In just over a decade, it has contributed to the launch of 65 highly innovative companies, generating 500 jobs. At the same time, the Zamudio/Derio Campus will host a visit to Biolan, an example of the thriving Basque biotechnology sector, which designs, develops, manufactures, and markets advanced analytical devices for the food and health sectors. In 2024, it won the National Innovation Award and in 2022, the National Connected Industry 4.0 Award.

Another example of pioneering biotechnology is Cocoon, which specializes in the production of recombinant proteins designed to modify nucleic acids, with applications in the pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics, and R&D laboratories. It uses insect chrysalises as natural bioreactors, which offers numerous advantages. At the same time, we will visit the plant of one of the most established companies in the Basque Country, ITP Aero, one of the flagships of the Basque aeronautical industry. At its Zamudio/Derio Campus plant, visitors will be able to see the Trent 1000 engine, used in commercial aviation and designed in collaboration with Rolls-Royce. They will also have access to ADMIRE, the Basque company’s advanced manufacturing center, with an investment of €24 million.

Finally, Syngoi represents the biopharmaceutical field. It specializes in the production of synthetic DNA optimized for advanced cell and gene therapies. Its patented technology is used to manufacture DNA without the need for cell culture, which solves one of the main bottlenecks in the development of gene therapies, mRNA vaccines, and cell treatments.