The Basque Government is positioning the Basque Country as a “fertile ground” for international industrial investment

Councillor Mikel Jauregi chaired the “Invest in the Basque Country” event in Madrid, attended by a broad range of international industry representatives

Mikel Jauregi: “The Basque Country is fertile ground for new industrial investment. We have a unique system of political and fiscal self-government, which has enabled us to create our own model: an environment favourable to industry combined with the development of social cohesion and quality of life. A unique place to attract industrial investment. We offer an environment of trust and a responsive government with an ambitious industrial strategy”

Participants highlighted that the Basque Country is a distinctly industrial region with excellence in manufacturing, an innovative territory with talent, its own competitive tax system, and close public-private collaboration

International investors increasingly value factors such as institutional stability, the quality of infrastructure – particularly digital and energy infrastructure – and the ability to attract talent, areas in which the Basque Country holds competitive advantages

The Basque Government has launched the “Invest in the Basque Country” initiative in Madrid, an event aimed at strengthening the Basque Country’s position as an attractive, competitive and reliable destination for international investment. The event was chaired by the Minister for Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregi.

The event brought together institutional representatives, investors and economic stakeholders to discuss the opportunities offered by the Basque Country in an increasingly demanding global context. During the day’s proceedings, speakers highlighted that the Basque Country is a distinctly industrial region with manufacturing excellence, an innovative territory brimming with talent, boasting its own competitive tax system, and characterised by close public-private collaboration.

At the opening of the meeting, Minister Mikel Jauregi emphasised that “the Basque Country is committed to more industry and more Europe. And there can be no prosperity in Europe without a strong industry. Because industry is a source of progress, wealth and quality jobs. Now is the time to step on the accelerator of European reindustrialisation. In the Basque Country, we are already committed to ambitious projects to ensure that Europe remains at the forefront of technology and industry.”

Jauregi emphasised that “the Basque Country is fertile ground for new industrial investment by leading companies in their sectors. And why the Basque Country? We have a unique system of political and fiscal self-government, which has enabled us to create our own model: an environment favourable to industry combined with the development of social cohesion and quality of life”.

He also highlighted the four key factors that make the Basque Country an attractive destination for industrial investment: “excellence in manufacturing, innovation, talent and public-private partnership. These four factors position us as a unique location for attracting industrial investment. We offer an environment of trust and a responsive government with an ambitious industrial strategy”.

Innovation and taxation: building the new Basque industry

The event was divided into two sessions. The first was a round-table discussion on “Innovation and taxation: building the new Basque industry”. It featured Itxaso Berrojalbiz, Regional Minister for Finance and Taxation at the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, representing the three Basque regional tax authorities; Javier García Cogorro, General Partner and founder of Columbus Venture Partners; and Fernando González Zalba, General Manager of Quantum Motion Spain.

The speakers analysed why the Basque Country is now an attractive destination for industrial and technological investment. They highlighted factors such as the business environment, talent and quality of life, “elements that are the result of a sustained strategy over time and which are key to the industrial fabric”.

They particularly emphasised “the Basque Country’s ability, through the Provincial Councils and its self-government, to design its own fiscal policy, with a clear focus on industrial activity and, in particular, on innovation. In this way, taxation becomes a real lever for attracting projects, capital and talent”.

The speakers highlighted that this framework translates into concrete results: “new projects, investment and employment, thanks to a public-private partnership that works in practice”.

First-hand accounts: the experience of industrial investors in the Basque Country

The second round-table discussion, entitled “First-hand accounts: the experience of industrial investors in the Basque Country”, featured industrial investors who have already chosen to invest in the Basque Country.

This session, moderated by Gonzalo Sánchez – one of Spain’s leading business figures, Chairman of PwC Spain and a member of the Global Strategy Council – was attended by the CEO of Virangen, Jimmy Vanhove; the CEO of MasOrange, Meinrad Spenger; the Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Littelfuse, Javier Hernández; and the Director of Entrepreneurship and Internationalisation at the Basque Government, Ane Miren de Ariño.

The panellists are heads of companies that have chosen the Basque Country for their investment projects. They highlighted that the Basque Country has a solid industrial base and highly developed scientific and technological capabilities, “a winning combination capable of driving innovative and highly complex industrial projects”.

Another key factor they identified is access to talent, seen as a strategic differentiator. “The Basque Country demonstrates a great capacity to train qualified professionals, as well as to retain them thanks to a dynamic business ecosystem and high-value professional development opportunities. Added to this is a growing ability to attract international talent”.

Finally, the participants highlighted the role of the Basque government, “which is approachable and proactive, listening to and supporting businesses throughout their entire lifecycle, from their establishment through to their growth and consolidation. Public-private collaboration emerges as a decisive factor, helping to create a stable and predictable environment that fosters industrial development, and strengthening the virtuous circle of attracting new investment to the Basque Country”.

Why the Basque Country is an attractive destination for investment

Attracting foreign investment in sectors with future potential is one of the priorities of the ‘More Industry’ pillar of the Basque Country Industry Plan 2030. The Basque Country aims to be a leading destination for foreign industrial investment in high value-added sectors with the potential to drive future growth. This priority aims to attract transformative investment that generates skilled employment, introduces advanced technologies and strengthens the integration of the local industrial fabric into global value chains.

Throughout the event, the various speakers highlighted to international investors the institutional stability, the quality of the infrastructure – particularly digital and energy infrastructure – and the Basque Country’s ability to attract talent. These competitive advantages are combined with a strong industrial base, forward-thinking sustainability policies and a high quality of life – factors that are playing an increasingly decisive role in investment decisions.