The Bilbao Technology Campus in Zorrotzaurre is being expanded with Lantek’s project for advanced digital services for industry

The arrival of Lantek marks a step forward in the development of Punta Norte, alongside projects by IDOM, Mondragon University, Ikerlan and Vicomtech

Its arrival will involve the construction of two new buildings at Punta Norte: one for Lantek and another for the Park itself, with the aim of attracting new technological and industrial projects. The construction of both buildings will involve an investment of 50 million euros

Lantek, a global leader in industrial software, is an advanced services company that contributes to the competitiveness of the Basque Country’s advanced manufacturing industry

Punta Norte is establishing itself as a leading hub for advanced digital technologies such as AI, data, cybersecurity and robotics

The Bilbao Campus of the Basque Country Technology Park in Zorrotzaurre is expanding with the addition of Lantek’s project for advanced digital services for industry.

Lantek, a global leader in industrial software, thus joins IDOM, Mondragon Unibertsitatea, Ikerlan and Vicomtech at Campus Bilbao. Its strategic project will consolidate this Urban Technology Park as a leading centre for advanced digital technologies such as AI and cybersecurity.

The project was presented at Punta Norte on the Bilbao Campus, at an event attended by the Mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto; the Basque Government’s Minister for Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregi; the Deputy General of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe; and Lantek’s CEO, Alberto López de Biñaspre.

Lantek’s project joins those already in place at Punta Norte on the Bilbao Campus. In the view of Minister Mikel Jauregi, the implementation of these projects in Zorrotzaurre “is the best demonstration that the Technology Park is a space connecting knowledge, technology and industry. A space that we place at the service of the Basque Country’s productive fabric to drive growth, innovation and collaboration within Basque industry. The Basque Country Technology Park is a fundamental tool for attracting and developing cutting-edge industry and generating quality jobs. There can be no industrial development without capitalising on advanced knowledge”.

“The Basque Country is a global leader in advanced manufacturing, and with Lantek’s establishment at this new site in the Technology Park, the Basque Country will also become a leading exporter of machine tool software to the rest of the world,” the minister emphasised.

The Deputy General of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe, noted that “the fact that Lantek has chosen Zorrotzaurre to expand is no small matter” and stressed that, “at a time when all cities and regions are competing to attract investment from abroad, Bizkaia is demonstrating that it is capable of creating the conditions for Basque companies to develop their projects here, grow here and generate wealth and employment here”. She also noted that “Lantek thus joins IDOM, Mondragon Unibertsitatea, Ikerlan and Vicomtech at Campus Bilbao”, within an ecosystem in which “Basque companies and institutions” are “working together to build a leading hub for artificial intelligence, data, cybersecurity and robotics”. “That is no coincidence. It is a strength,” she concluded.

The Mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto, has stated that “Lantek is a company that strengthens the ecosystem we are creating on the Island through innovative activities, skilled employment, new technologies, international connections… In short, the new industry we are fostering in Bilbao as the economic capital of the Basque Country. There are still projects to be completed. But the machinery is already running at full speed. And I would go so far as to say that virtually the entire area designated for economic activities in this northern tip of Zorrotzaure is now fully up and running. Bilbao Island is and will remain the island of opportunities. With businesses, training, housing, new leisure and development areas, cultural centres… And we will carry on, because Bilbao never stops and continues its transformation”.

New advanced digital services for the Basque Advanced Manufacturing sector

Lantek’s project is developing new opportunities in the Advanced Manufacturing-Machine Tool sector, a strategic sector identified as IRABAZI in the Basque Country Industry Plan 2030, given its role as a driving force in Basque industry.

This new strategic project, named “Lantek BNEST Technological Campus”, will offer advanced services to its more than 38,000 customers worldwide and over 120 machine tool manufacturers, collaborating with technology centres and companies specialising in software, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, thereby boosting the competitiveness of the Basque Country’s advanced manufacturing industry.

To ensure its comprehensive development, the Basque Country Technology Park will undertake the construction of two buildings: one for Lantek, in which the company will have over 6,000 m², and another of 9,000 m² reserved to attract new industry. The construction of both buildings will involve an estimated investment of 50 million euros.

The last remaining plot of land earmarked for the development of the Punta Norte area of Campus Bilbao, on which the former Mefesa site stood, is also being acquired. This historic building is to be refurbished, with its architecture respecting the original aesthetic, to transform it into a space designed to foster collaboration between different technological and industrial projects.

This initiative will drive forward the development of the Punta Norte area of Campus Bilbao, alongside projects led by IDOM, Mondragon Unibertsitatea, Ikerlan, Vicomtech and Lantek.

Boosting the competitiveness of the Basque technology industry

Lantek’s arrival at Campus Bilbao is crucial for the competitiveness of the Basque industrial sector, as a strategic provider of advanced services. Lantek aims to become the strategic partner to drive digitalisation, consolidate growth and lead the technological future of Basque industry, an objective it will now be able to reinforce from Campus Bilbao.

In this context, Lantek will contribute to the technological and industrial ecosystem of Campus Bilbao by bringing in key talent specialising in software technologies for smart industry – professionals who will drive the digital transformation of Basque manufacturing. This expertise, based on enabling technologies such as industrial cloud and artificial intelligence, is key to unlocking the potential of Industry 4.0, attracting global talent and accelerating the adoption of smart solutions in the sector. Top-tier STEM professionals, capable of leading innovation and the implementation of advanced technological solutions in industrial environments, will be fundamental to this objective.

“This project not only consolidates our track record but will also enable us to continue attracting and developing specialised talent, fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem with an international outlook in a sustainable, iconic and strategic environment where technology and innovation converge,” said Alberto López de Biñaspre, CEO of Lantek.

In parallel with the development of the planned projects at the North End of Zorrotzaurre, the Basque Technology Park is making progress on the development of the South End, an area which will comprise 60,000 m² spread across five buildings.

The completion of the Punta Norte development is the result of years of inter-institutional collaboration, in which Bilbao City Council, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the Basque Government have worked hand in hand to transform Zorrotzaurre into an island of knowledge, technology, innovation and advanced industry through the Basque Technology Park and its new Bilbao Campus.

Campus Bilbao is a flagship project for the economy of Bizkaia and the Basque Country, capable of generating a sectoral network that boosts the growth of the industrial fabric, with its focus on advanced sectors linked to research and training.