The Lehendakari, Imanol Pradales, inaugurated the first edition of DS – Decarbonized & Sustainable Industry at Bilbao Exhibition Centre at midday today. This international event, taking place from today, 3 November, until Thursday 5 November, will position Bizkaia and the Basque Country as leaders in driving progress on one of the industrial sector’s major challenges: moving towards more competitive, efficient and sustainable models.

During his address, the Lehendakari focused on the opportunities offered by industrial decarbonisation and highlighted the work being carried out in the Basque Country to establish itself as a European benchmark for clean industry and lead green reindustrialisation based on competitive decarbonisation. In this regard, he stressed that the Basque Country has distinctive capabilities to tackle this challenge and emphasised the need to promote far-reaching reforms and strengthen Europe’s production and innovation capabilities. He also pointed out that the Basque Country is not standing idle and that, as it has done throughout its history, it must once again adapt its industrial base to market and technological demands to ensure the country’s growth and well-being.

The opening ceremony also featured addresses by Ainara Basurko, Deputy for Economic Promotion at the Provincial Council of Bizkaia; Aitor Arzuaga, CEO of Alba; Julio Castro, CEO of Iberdrola Renovables; and Xabier Basañez, Managing Director of Bilbao Exhibition Centre.

During her address, Ainara Basurko, Deputy for Economic Promotion at the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, highlighted that “decarbonisation is not only an environmental challenge, but also a driver of competitiveness and an opportunity to develop industry, technology and high-quality employment. Bizkaia is home to leading companies such as Iberdrola and Petronor, specialised SMEs and technology centres capable of leading this transformation. Projects such as the Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub and the Energy Intelligence Center are examples of how innovation can be transformed into new industrial capabilities. DS Industry was created to connect the real needs of companies with technological solutions, forge partnerships and turn decarbonisation challenges into business opportunities.”

Aitor Arzuaga, CEO of Alba, stated that “at Petronor, we are fully committed to playing a key role in enabling the decarbonisation of industrial and transport sectors where emissions are particularly difficult to reduce. We have made a strategic commitment to renewable hydrogen, synthetic fuels and the circular economy, supported by a portfolio of projects currently under way involving an investment of more than €550 million. We also firmly believe that the Basque Country has the companies, talent and momentum needed to establish a strong position in this value chain and, in fact, we are already doing so thanks to collaboration that enables us to turn the energy transition into an opportunity for development.”

During his address, Julio Castro, CEO of Iberdrola Renovables, emphasised that “the electrification of energy consumption represents both a challenge and an opportunity for industrial competitiveness and employment in the Basque Country. It is the roadmap guiding the present and future of decarbonisation in Europe. Iberdrola is well aware of this, and it is already becoming a reality and a success story in the Basque Country, with the new Labraza wind farm and the forthcoming EKIENEA photovoltaic plant in Armiñón, Álava: Basque energy, sovereignty and competitiveness.”

For his part, Xabier Basañez, Managing Director of BEC, emphasised the value of DS Industry as a meeting point for the industrial sector: “Over three days, we will bring together companies, experts and industry representatives to share knowledge, experiences and solutions, as well as to foster new opportunities for collaboration. More than 100 exhibiting companies and 140 national and international speakers will take part in this first edition, which will combine an exhibition area, a congress programme and various networking spaces.”

 

WORKinn for DS Industry

Attracting talent is key to the future of industry, a sector with highly appealing career prospects and quality employment. With this in mind, on the morning of 4 November we will open WORKinn for DS Industry, a space dedicated to talent featuring 13 exhibiting companies. Its aim is to connect specialist profiles with leading companies, helping them recruit the talent the industrial transition needs.

WORKinn will be a meeting point for talent and companies, a place to explore real opportunities for employment, professional development and growth. It also sets out to encourage generational renewal, giving students and professionals the chance to discover new career paths and connect with companies looking to bring new profiles on board.

DS Industry 2026 is organized by Bilbao Exhibition Centre with the support of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and the Basque Government as Institutional Partners; Iberdrola and Petronor as Platinum Sponsors; KPMG as Gold Sponsor; and Aclima, Basquenergy Cluster, EVE-Ente Vasco de la Energía, IHOBE, Net Zero Basque, Grupo SPRI and Tecnalia as Sector Partners.