The new central building of the Basque Country Technology Park in Hernani is set to become a hub for attracting companies and strategic high-tech projects

This morning, the Lehendakari presided over the ceremony to lay the first stone of the new ‘Ellen MacArthur’ headquarters building, which will provide a response to the high occupancy and demand in the Technology Park in Gipuzkoa

The new headquarters building will be a unique facility designed under eco-sustainable criteria that will be completed by the end of 2026, and will help to attract new companies and strategic projects

It is the first building owned by the Euskadi Technology Park on the Hernani Campus, located in Galarreta, with more than 2,300 m2 designed to house business projects that have completed the incubation phase

This morning, the Basque Country Technology Park held the ceremony to lay the first stone of its first building on the Hernani Campus, presided over by the Lehendakari Imanol Pradales. Located in Galarreta, this new central building will bear the name of the pioneer of the circular economy, Ellen MacArthur (Derbyshire, England, 1976). These facilities, designed according to eco-design, sustainability and energy efficiency criteria, will become a hub for companies in the ‘scale up’ phase, once they have completed their incubation phase.

Along with the Lehendakari, the President of the Basque Parliament, Bakartxo Tejeria, and the Deputy General of Gipuzkoa, Eider Mendoza, also attended the groundbreaking ceremony, as well as the Basque Government’s Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregi, the Mayor of Hernani, Xabier Lertxundi, and the President of the Euskadi Technology Park, Jaione Ganzarain, among others. They all agreed on the importance of these facilities in response to the growing demand for space at the Basque Country Technology Park in Gipuzkoa.

‘The commitment to technology parks reflects the country that we were able to dream of and build at a very difficult time, four decades ago, with an important need to modernise our economy in order to recover competitiveness’, the Lehendakari stressed. ‘In these times of uncertainty, we want to follow the same path. An advanced country with quality of life. With an innovative industry that generates opportunities, quality employment and well-being for everyone. Therefore, this is much more than the first stone of a building in Hernani. It is the continuity of a commitment that has proven to be successful, but which we must continually renew’.

The Ellen MacArthur building, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, will have a surface area of 10,000 m2 that the Technology Park will make available to technology companies. Of this, 2,300 will be dedicated to companies in the ‘scale up’ phase, with the intention that these facilities will become a hub for all business projects that have passed the incubation phase and are experiencing rapid growth in the market.

Located next to the main access roundabout to the Hernani Campus, the new central building is configured as a flexible infrastructure that can be adapted to the particular conditions of each company. Inside there will be privatisable offices, space for technological prototypes, RIS3 laboratories, and complementary services such as a coworking room, multi-purpose rooms and Agora.

There will also be parking for bicycles and electric scooters, and charging points for electric vehicles, in line with the Technology Park’s commitment to sustainable mobility.

Green and intelligent infrastructure

With the construction of this new building, the Euskadi Technology Park reinforces its commitment to the creation of green and intelligent infrastructures that contribute to improving the present and future of society. In this sense, the Ellen MacArthur responds to an environmentally sustainable building, based on eco-design and circular economy.

In fact, for its construction, the incorporation of 40% recycled materials is foreseen, as well as the use of ecological and warm materials associated with the living spaces. It will also facilitate the use of renewable energies, including high-performance thermal generation, digitalisation and control of installations (BMs), optimisation of energy consumption and sources, and the recovery of rainwater and grey water.

The incorporation of the new central building in Hernani is a new milestone for the Technology Park in Gipuzkoa. This Campus currently has the presence of the company COUTH, which opened its facilities just under a year ago, as well as Mondragon Unibertsitatea, IKERLAN and the Orona Foundation. It is also an important step towards responding to the demand for new spaces in Gipuzkoa in view of the high occupancy rate -nearly 100%- of its current buildings. The estimated cost of the building is 18.2 million euros.