BRTA: a new boost for the coordination of basque scientific and technological capabilities to enhance their impact on the industrial and social fabric

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18543/bee.3121
Keywords: Competitiveness, Sustainability, Technologies, R&D policies

Abstract

The organisation and construction of critical mass in the scientific-technological field is one of the main levers for strengthening industry and the economy and, consequently, increasing the degree of innovation and regional competitiveness. This article presents a description of the evolution of the Basque Country’s technological ecosystem from the 1980s to the present day, which is characterised by the fact that it has been adapting to the needs of the economic fabric and the changes in both the local and international contexts. It also describes the brief trajectory of the Basque scientific-technological consortium, BRTA, which in its first five years of existence has already shown some results of the deployment of its mission, which is to promote collaboration between Basque scientific-technological institutions to meet the industrial challenges, mainly in the Basque Country, and to be able to compete and cooperate with international R&D benchmarks.

Author Biographies

Garbiñe Manterola Agirrezabalaga, BRTA

Transfer Director of BRTA, Spain. Graduate in Environmental Sciences (2002) from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, PhD in Applied Physics from the University of Navarra (2009), Master in Science and Innovation Management from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (2021) and Management Training for Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer Institutions from the Deusto Business School (2024), during her professional career she has worked as a researcher both in the academic and business world. Her research has focused on environmental technologies, especially advanced wastewater treatment and resource recovery. She is currently responsible for the transfer area in BRTA (Basque Research & Technology Alliance) and her activity focuses on boosting and strengthening the conditions for transmitting the knowledge generated in the centres of the alliance to companies to contribute to their competitiveness. She has been a member of the European Sustainable Finance Platform from 2020 to 2022.

Gerrikagoitia Arrien, BRTA

Scientific and Technological Director of BRTA, Spain. Computer Engineer by the University of Deusto (1993), Master in Software Engineering by the University of Deusto (1995) and PhD in Computer Science by the University of Mondragon (2006). During his professional career he has combined his activity as a university lecturer, researcher in technology centres and industry, focusing on computer science and data science, specialising in areas such as software architectures, web engineering, data engineering and machine learning. His main application domain has been Advanced Manufacturing, leading the ICT and Automation research group at IDEKO specialising in manufacturing technologies. His work focuses on incorporating the latest innovations in digital automation and data science into industrial production, under the framework of Industry 4.0, with the aim of digitising industry from the machine tool builder’s perspective.

Bueno Zabalo , BRTA

General Manager of BRTA, Spain. PhD in Industrial Engineering from the School of Engineering of Donostia-San Sebastian and his doctoral thesis was on the design of machine tools. At BRTA, his main objective is to coordinate and strengthen the activity of the 17 technology centres and CICs in the Basque Country, members of the BRTA alliance. Before heading BRTA, he worked at Tecnalia, developing and coordinating various functions: International Business Development, director of the Advanced Manufacturing Area, business development and research programmes, etc. positions that encompassed responsibilities both in R&D in manufacturing, with the aim of transferring new technologies to the industrial fabric, and in internationalisation, with the aim of cooperating with leading European organisations in the development of technological assets. He has been involved in relevant European activities and initiatives on innovation in manufacturing. He has been a member of Manufuture, co-chair of the ad hoc industrial advisory group (AIAG) of the public-private partnership (PPP) Factories of the Future for 10 years and has actively participated in the preparation of the final winning proposal for EIT Manufacturing. The idea behind participation in these initiatives has always been to ‘widen the field’ of manufacturing R&D, so that European industry can become more innovative and competitive on a global scale.

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Published
2025-02-26
How to Cite
Manterola Agirrezabalaga, Garbiñe, Gerrikagoitia Arrien, and Bueno Zabalo. 2025. “BRTA: A New Boost for the Coordination of Basque Scientific and Technological Capabilities to enhance Their Impact on the Industrial and social Fabric”. Bulletin of Economic Studies 79 (235), 185-204. https://doi.org/10.18543/bee.3121.
Issue
Vol. 79 No. 235 (2024): Building sustainable competitiveness futures through transformative research
Section
Articles

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