A Basque consortium will create an innovation network to promote manufacturing in south-west Europe

Aernnova, Mondragon Corporation, IK4 Research Alliance, ITP Aero and Tecnalia will lead this initiative located in the Basque Country, which will be launched in 2019. IK4-AZTERLAN will actively participate within the consortium.

The manufacturing sector is one of the main drivers of European economy. More than 2 million manufacturing companies employ nearly 30 million people. However, profound changes are happening within the sector, driven by the evolving needs of the market and of society, as well as by the rapid technological advances and the environmental and sustainability requirements. To contribute to the sector being more competitive, sustainable and productive, the EIT manufacturing is born, with the support of the European Commission. Inside that initiative, more than 50 companies and technology centres throughout the continent will collaborate in making Europe a global benchmark in manufacturing innovation, and in promoting the companies to adopt new technologies more quickly and efficiently.

This initiative will have a specific innovation network in the Basque Country to drive and finance advanced manufacturing projects, training for industry professionals and boosting production activity in the south-west of Europe. Involved in its implementation are the Basque entities: Aernnova, Mondragon Corporation, IK4 Research Alliance, ITP Aero and Tecnalia. The network is to be launched in 2019. The network will have a 15M euros/year budget to support companies in the creation and development of new products and to adopt already existing new technologies.

Objectives of the alliance

The challenges that the Basque network will address are: promoting digitalisation of industry and contributing to a more streamlined and flexible, environmentally friendly and socially sustainable production. Thus, it will contribute to creating quality jobs, training students and attracting talented professionals, and creating “innovation ecosystems” in which companies, technology centres and universities and investors interact.

During the first 7 years of EIT Manufacturing, the Basque network will implement new mechanisms for promoting the relationships between agents to accelerate the arrival of 100 new innovative products to the market, to create more than 200 new companies and to train more than 10,000 people.

EIT Manufacturing is the result of the joint work of more than 50 entities over more than 7 years, in which the differentiating contribution of the Basque Consortium has been decisive for the success of the initiative. The network is driven and supported by the EIT, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, an entity that promotes the creation of innovation networks, which include training activities, R&D&i and the creation of new businesses. Up until now, the EIT has already generated other communities of this type for sectors such as energy, the environmental, digital, health, raw materials, food and urban mobility sectors.