Markku Markkula, President of the European Committee of the Regions, visits Bizkaia Technology Park - Hoofdinhoud
The CoR President visited several high-level technology centres: BIC BIZKAIA, specialising in advanced manufacturing and clean technologies, CIC bioGUNE, at the cutting edge of biomedical research, and TECNALIA, one of Europe's leading centres for applied research and technological development. Overall turnover at the Bizkaia Technology Park amounted to almost EUR 3 billion in 2015.
Arantza Tapia, regional minister for economic development and competitiveness, met Mr Markkula at the technology park to discuss economic remodelling and job creation via applied research, innovation and the new technologies.
This week, Mr Markkula met the head of the Basque regional government, Mr Á ñigo Urkullu. Together, they opened the 8th European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns, in the course of which the Basque Declaration on sustainability was adopted.
As part of a visit to the Basque Country by a delegation from the European Committee of the Regions, CoR president Markku Markkula visited Bizkaia Technology Park at Zamudio in the outskirts of Bilbao. He was accompanied by several members of the Basque government. The technology park was first created 25 years ago, and now houses 226 highly-specialised companies with an overall workforce of more than 8 000, and joint overall turnover that rose to nearly EUR 3 billion in 2015.
Mr Markkula commented that "The Basque Country is a shining example of development and job creation, building on the knowledge economy and technological innovation. If we can develop centres of technological excellence, such as the Bizkaia Technology Park, it is thanks to the intelligent use of public-private partnerships".
Markku Markkula, who has been president of the assembly of representatives of the European Union's local and regional authorities since February 2015, took a first-hand look at BIB Bizkaia, a business incubator set up in 2004 by the Basque government and the Bizkaia provincial authority. It brings together 24 businesses specialising in bio, micro and nanotechnology as well as advanced manufacturing and clean technologies. In just over ten years, BIC Bizkaia has made itself a benchmark for start-ups in high technology innovation sectors, as in the case of OCEANTEC, a Basque company pioneering maritime energies.
During the visit, Mr Markkula - who is also a member of Espoo city council, in the Helsinki metropolitan area - took a close interest in the strategy for specialisation and international projection pursued by CIC BioGUNE, a cooperative biosciences research centre founded in 2002 by the Basque government's department for industry. He also gained an insight into several of TECNALIA's hi-tech projects, including one in the area of automated, driver-less vehicles. TECNALIA is world leader in high added-value technological application generated by the alliance between official Basque bodies and specialist businesses.
During a working meal, Arantza Tapia, regional minister for economic development and competitiveness talked with Mr Markkula about applied research, technological development and how the Bizkaia Technology Park was a driving force for the province's economy. The Basque Country has two other similar parks, in San Sebastián and Vitoria.
Estibaliz Hernaez, regional deputy minister for research and technology, Marian Elorza, secretary-general for external action, Mikel Anton, director for European affairs and Sofia De Orue, expert at the secretariat-general for external action, also attended on behalf of the Basque government.
The Basque Declaration adopted in Bilbao this week seeks innovative ways of meeting current economic, environmental and social challenges. It highlights the importance of finding sustainable solutions that create economic value for the benefit of local populations and the need to "decarbonise" energy systems, create sustainable urban mobility patterns, and to protect and enhance ecosystems and biodiversity.
Contact:
David Crous Duran
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