Innobasque Director Outlines Strategy for Basque Innovation Growth

BILBAO — Leire Bilbao, the director of the Basque Innovation Agency, Innobasque, is spearheading a new strategic initiative designed to elevate innovation levels across the Basque Country. The plan targets a wide range of sectors, spanning from private enterprise to public administration and the educational system.

Reframing Collaborative Innovation

Central to Bilbao’s approach is the belief that companies can cooperate without compromising their proprietary assets. “Sharing knowledge between companies does not mean revealing confidential information,” Bilbao stated. This perspective serves as the cornerstone for the agency’s efforts to foster a more integrated ecosystem where businesses feel secure enough to exchange ideas.

Innobasque aims to create a culture where innovation is not siloed within individual firms. By facilitating cross-sector dialogue, the agency hopes to improve efficiency and technological adoption throughout the region. The strategy involves aligning the administrative sector with private business needs to ensure that policy supports rather than hinders growth.

Expanding Educational Outreach

The agency’s roadmap also includes significant engagement with the academic and training sectors. According to Innobasque, preparing the workforce for future industrial demands is essential for maintaining regional competitiveness. The initiative emphasizes the importance of integrating vocational and higher education more closely with the immediate challenges faced by the local business community.

Moving forward, the agency will focus on implementation across these diverse spheres. The goal is to build a sustainable innovation framework that can adapt to changing economic conditions while maintaining the Basque region’s industrial reputation.