Innobasque presents the results of its activities in 2024 at the 18th General Assembly, in line with the Basque Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation

The annual meeting brought together members of Innobasque’s partner organisations, including government bodies, companies and educational, social, scientific and technological agents, as well as members of its Board of Directors, made up of 60 senior representatives reflecting the public-private partnership to promote innovation in the Basque Country.

The General Assembly, the highest decision-making body of the Basque Innovation Agency, was chaired for the first time by Imanol Rego, CEO of the Irizar Group, following his recent appointment as president of Innobasque in March.

The annual meeting of the Basque innovation ecosystem showcased strategic advances in quantum computing and space propulsion undertaken by the Donostia International Physics Centre (DIPC), ITP Aero and Sener, partner entities of the Agency.

It also hosted for the first time in the Basque Country a presentation by Paula Carsí, the young Director of Innovation at Ford Europe and a leading figure in sustainability and innovation in the automotive sector.

The event was closed with a message from Lehendakari Imanol Pradales, Honorary President of the Basque Innovation Agency, Innobasque.

The Basque Innovation Agency, Innobasque, held its 18th General Assembly, an annual event that brings together stakeholders in the Basque innovation ecosystem to take the pulse of R&D&I activity in the Basque Country. 

The event was attended by representatives of Innobasque’s partner entities, an ecosystem made up of 908 organisations including administrations, companies, educational, scientific and technological agents, and social organisations, all of which share the objective of promoting innovation in the Basque Country in all areas. Members of its Board of Directors, made up of 60 high-level professionals linked to strategic innovation sectors, were also present.

Imanol Rego, CEO of the Irizar Group, chaired the General Assembly for the first time, after being appointed president of Innobasque in March.

After the opening, the managing director, Leire Bilbao, presented a review of the Agency’s activities over the past year, and the accounts and management report for the previous financial year, as well as the budget for 2025, were submitted for approval by the member organisations present. All items on the agenda were unanimously approved.

The results of the 2024 activity presented during the General Assembly show a high degree of compliance with the Agency’s strategic objectives, which in turn has contributed to improving several indicators for monitoring and evaluating the PCTI. This plan, promoted by the Basque Government through the Department of Science, Universities and Innovation, seeks to correct the weaknesses of the Basque innovation system and position the Basque Country among the most advanced regions in Europe in terms of innovation by 2030, an objective fully shared by Innobasque.

Contribution to innovation objectives

Innobasque has reinforced its commitment to innovation in SMEs, one of the key objectives of the Basque Government’s plan. During 2024, a total of 982 small and medium-sized enterprises participated in activities to promote innovation, such as the Innovation Training programme, the Innovation Map and the Practical Case Bank.

Similarly, the HAZINNOVA programme, in which Innobasque collaborates with SPRI and the Basque Government, has enabled 364 companies to develop 499 innovation projects over the last year. Since the programme began in 2019 as a pilot project, HAZINNOVA has mobilised 1,045 unique companies in five editions and developed 2,103 innovative projects.

Also noteworthy from the past year is the consolidation of the Lan Mentoring programme, aimed at generational renewal in SMEs, in collaboration with Lanbide, which, after successfully completing its pilot phase with the participation of 60 companies, has become a stable service available to all Basque SMEs.

At the same time, the Basque Innovation Agency has continued to work to expand the internationalisation opportunities for Basque R&D&I. Throughout 2024, a total of 204 organisations have participated in activities aimed at strengthening their presence abroad. With the aim of facilitating companies’ access to European programmes, Innobasque is part of the Basque node of the Enterprise Europe Network, together with SPRI, BEAZ, the three chambers of commerce and Basque Trade and Investment.

Finally, with an eye on the future of the innovation ecosystem, the Agency has intensified its efforts to promote scientific and technological vocations among young people, especially girls. Throughout 2024, a total of 27,500 young people from 315 educational centres participated in STEAM activities, thanks to collaboration with more than 100 entities in the region.

Public-private partnership, an essential pillar of the Basque innovation ecosystem

Public-private collaboration with the various players in the Basque innovation ecosystem has proven to be essential for the advancement of the innovation ecosystem. Within this framework, the Agency has strengthened its joint work with key institutions, signing strategic agreements with the Basque Government, the three provincial councils, BEAZ, Garapen, the Cuadrillas Alavesas and the City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz, with the aim of bringing innovation to the entire region and directly supporting local SMEs.

In parallel with these alliances, Innobasque has evaluated the performance of innovation in the Basque Country and has developed analyses and reports that contribute to the design of public policies on science, technology and innovation. These studies include an analysis of the R&D&I situation in the Basque Country and the Historical Territories, a diagnosis of the Basque Country’s innovation capacity and its economic return, monitoring and interim evaluation reports on the 2030 Science, Technology and Innovation Plan, and a report estimating R&D&I investment for 2024.

In addition, it has joined the PIDI network of the CDTI, which is part of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, thus expanding its portfolio of direct advice on public funding for R&D&I.

Also noteworthy is the recent agreement signed with the EHU Doctoral School to promote innovation among doctoral students.

table geopolitical context, ‘a real obstacle to decision-making’. In this regard, the director pointed to innovation as ‘the vehicle for navigating this uncertainty’.

A message from Lehendakari Imanol Pradales, who was in parliamentary session today, brought the 18th edition of the annual event to a close. In his speech, he highlighted the role of innovation as a fundamental pillar of the Basque social and economic model, stating that ‘the recent report by Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi makes it clear: to guarantee Europe’s strategic autonomy and reduce the gap with the United States and China, innovation is one of the keys’.

Although he acknowledged that ‘we are still some way behind the leading group’, he expressed confidence that events such as today’s will enable us to move ‘in the right direction’. The Lehendakari recalled that both the Basque Government and the Basque Innovation Agency share the objective of positioning the Basque Country as a leader in innovation in Europe and, in this regard, he stated that ‘we are in good hands; in this field, Innobasque shows us the way’.

Imanol Pradales concluded his message by emphasising the importance of public-private collaboration. ‘Innobasque has been successful in bringing together the work of institutions and private companies in the service of innovation. It is a good example of a way of doing things that sets us apart. We must continue along this path and work together to face the challenges ahead.’