The BasqueTechnology Park starts work on the Bilbao Campus headquarters in Zorrotzaurre

The adaptation work on what will be the headquarters and spearhead of the Bilbao Campus marks the beginning of the development of a project that will transform the old industrial peninsula of Zorrotzaurre into an innovative and dynamic island.

The new building, which will offer 5,300 m2 of space for companies and advanced technological projects, will be reconstructed with the original aesthetics of the current pavilion, to which a new volume will be attached on the west façade.

The agreement for the creation of the Bilbao Campus of the Basque Technology Park, signed in March 2022 by the Basque Government and Bilbao City Council, envisages the development of 106,000 m2 of tertiary surface area distributed over the two points of the island.

The Bilbao Campus of the Basque Technology Park is preparing for the imminent start of construction work on its infrastructures, once the green light has been given to the tender for the reconstruction of the building occupied by the company Tarabusi, destined to house the Park’s headquarters in Bilbao (Zorrotzaurre). The new building will respect the aesthetics of the current pavilion and will incorporate an annexe on the west façade.

The new building, which will also house the BAIC-Basque Artificial Intelligence Centre, will be the spearhead of the Bilbao Campus. It will offer 5,300 m2 for companies and advanced technology projects, distributed over a basement floor with 47 parking spaces, a 450 m2 ground floor with multi-purpose rooms, and three upper floors with more than 750 m2 each for the tertiary sector.

In this distribution of spaces, the new volumetry attached to the west façade of the original pavilion will have a special relevance, and its interior and exterior cladding will seek the same language, focusing on concepts such as bioclimatic architecture. As a result, the Bilbao Campus headquarters will be a reinvented, modern and functional building.

The reconstruction of the building will also be the first step in the integral development of the Bilbao Campus, which will occupy two different areas at both ends of the island of Zorrotzaurre, with municipal or public buildings. At the North end, the Campus will have 46,000 m2 of tertiary buildings distributed over 4 plots: RZ-17, where the building of the old Tarabusi company is located; RZ-10, with two other pre-existing buildings that will also be rebuilt by the Euskadi Technology Park (Lancor and Consoni); and the plots RZ-9 and RZ-7. In Punta Sur, on the other hand, it is planned to have 60,000 m2 of tertiary building area, divided into 3 plots: RD-11, RD-12 and RD-16. Five new buildings will be built on these plots, which will be between 9 and 17 storeys high.

Growing demand for business space

The development of the innovative Bilbao Campus has its origin in the signing of the agreement between Bilbao City Council and the Euskadi Technology Park in March 2022, which initially included the plots RZ-10 and RD-12. This agreement was subsequently consolidated with an addendum in October of the same year, incorporating plots RZ-9 and RZ-17. Plots RZ-7, RD-11 and RD-16 are currently pending agreement.

As expressed in the agreement, both signatory institutions share the vision that the new Campus Bilbao will be one of the future driving force projects for the economy of Bizkaia, capable of generating a sectorial ecosystem that will strengthen the growth of the business fabric.

In this sense, Campus Bilbao will respond to the great demand for space that exists in the capital of Bizkaia, as companies see Zorrotzaurre as a great opportunity to attract and retain young talent. It is worth noting that, according to a recent study of office occupation and demand in the main cities in Spain, there is currently a demand of 7,000m2 from companies that cannot find available space in Bilbao, and this will only be alleviated with the start up of the Zorrotzaurre project.

Along these lines, the Euskadi Technology Park will provide a selective commercialisation of the companies and projects that can be located in Zorrotzaurre, focusing on companies in advanced sectors, linked to research and training, as well as the location of technology centres.