The IK4 R&D Alliance celebrated its tenth anniversary in an event held at the Aquarium in Donostia-San Sebastian and in which the Basque institutional, scientific and technological and business milieu was well represented. The event was led by the Minister for Economic Development and Competitiveness of the Government of the Basque Autonomous Community Arantxa Tapia, who took part together with the Chairman of IK4 Iñaki Aranburu, and the Alliance’s CEO José Miguel Erdozain.
The event also included a roundtable discussion in which 4 researchers from the centres IK4.-Azterlan, Ik-Ceit, Ik4-Ideko and Ik4-Ikerlan discussed a range of issues, such as the value that the centres can receive from an alliance like IK4, examples of the transfer of knowledge to companies, or new opportunities that IK4 is providing the Basque business base with, such as its leadership in the so-called Industry 4.0.
With 9 member centres, nearly 1,300 researchers and an annual revenue in excess of 100 million euros, IK4 has become consolidated over the last 10 years as a key agent for the Basque economy, and as it emerges as a benchmark in the transfer of R&D&i to companies to enable them to be more competitive.
And this is endorsed by the figures that IK4 is in a position to present today. Over these last 10 years the Basque Alliance has carried out R&D&i projects for about 800 companies a year, exceeding the overall figure of 4,000 private clients.
Its CEO José Miguel Erdozain positioned IK4’s role in consolidating itself as a “benchmark agent” when it comes to Basque companies being provided with “competitive improvements for their products and processes”. “We want to be the ideal ally for Basque companies that wish to turn innovation into a key competitive tool in their business strategy,” he said.
