Categoría Knowledge
Place-Based Innovation Policy in Dialogue: Greater Manchester and the Basque Country
Roundtable, Alliance Manchester Business School | 26 June 2026
Participants:
Elvira Uyarra (MIoIR, University of Manchester) Gorka Espiau (Agirre Lehendakaria Center, University of the Basque Country), Julia Martinez (Agirre Lehendakaria Center, University of the Basque Country), Alan Harding (GMCA & University of Manchester), Rubén Sanz Ferrero (Consulate General of Spain in Manchester), Matt Ziembla (MIoIR, University of Manchester), Usman Aziz (MIoIR, University of Manchester), Mabel Sanchez Barrioluengo (MIoIR, University of Manchester), Matthew Kershaw (GMCA), Coral Grainger (economic development and skills specialist), Kieron Flanagan (MIoIR, University of Manchester), Katie Penney (The Productivity Institute, University of Manchester), Mandy Parkinson (University of Salford).
Summary of Discussion:
1. Innovation as long-term territorial transformation
The roundtable brought together researchers, policymakers and practitioners from Greater Manchester and the Basque Country to explore the evolution of place-based innovation policy, compare experiences, and identify lessons for future regional development.
It opened with a presentation of the Basque research project, which traces 50 years of science, technology and innovation policy from the restoration of self-government to the present day. The Basque case was presented as a rare instance in which industrial modernisation, economic growth, social development and reductions in inequality have progressed together over several decades.
A central argument of the research is that understanding why certain decisions were taken matters as much as cataloguing what policies were implemented.
2. Collective leadership, pragmatism and crisis as catalyst
A recurring question was whether successful territorial transformation is driven primarily by visionary leadership or by broader collective action. In the Basque case major policy shifts emerged from a combination of political leadership and strong social consensus, with periods of crisis creating conditions for collaboration and cross-institutional experimentation.
Participants drew parallels with Greater Manchester, where progress has often depended on pragmatic working relationships between local authorities, universities, national government and other stakeholders, rather than on formal political alignment. The discussion suggested that successful transformation needs both strong leadership and a sense of collective ownership.
3. Technology-led versus science-led innovation systems
One of the sharpest contrasts between the two regions concerned the relationship between universities, science and innovation. The Basque model was described as historically technology-led rather than science-led. During industrial decline in the 1980s, public investment was directed towards technology centres closely linked to industry, rather than primarily towards universities. These centres became the core innovation infrastructure, helping firms modernise rapidly and strengthening manufacturing competitiveness. Universities, by contrast, remained more peripheral to the innovation system and were valued mainly for educating skilled professionals rather than as central generators of knowledge for innovation. This historical path continues to shape the Basque innovation system today.
Greater Manchester's ecosystem, by contrast, relies much more heavily on universities as central innovation actors. The discussion then turned to how future innovation systems in both regions might better connect technological capability, scientific research and the demands of societal challenge.
4. Manufacturing, deindustrialisation and place-based development
The importance of manufacturing emerged repeatedly. The Basque decision to maintain a commitment to industry during the period of decline was described as deliberate and, at the time, unconventional: rather than abandoning manufacturing, public investment supported technological upgrading and industrial restructuring.
Participants reflected that the UK largely moved in the opposite direction, with significant deindustrialisation and a stronger emphasis on property-led regeneration. Current initiatives in Greater Manchester, including Atom Valley and advanced materials programmes, were discussed as efforts to reconnect innovation policy with manufacturing, productivity and place-based economic development.
5. Universities and local innovation ecosystems
The role of universities generated substantial discussion. Participants pointed to several complementary contributions: educating and attracting talent, conducting research, supporting innovation ecosystems, and working with businesses and public institutions. There was also debate about whether universities can sometimes become overly dominant within local innovation systems, and conversely whether they can remain insufficiently connected to the wider economy and society.
Particular attention was paid to the challenge of engaging smaller firms and businesses that do not identify themselves as part of the innovation ecosystem. Examples were shared of work with further education colleges and applied innovation programmes that have successfully connected innovation support with firms that might otherwise be excluded from policy discussions.
6. Ecosystem complexity and institutional architecture
Several participants observed that both regions now operate within increasingly complex ecosystems of ecosystems. This raised questions about how much institutional complexity is useful, whether multiple organisations and governance layers enhance resilience or create duplication, and how coordination can be achieved without becoming overly bureaucratic.
The Basque case was presented as a highly networked and collaborative system in which many institutions operate with considerable autonomy while remaining broadly aligned around shared goals. Questions were raised about how this alignment is maintained, and whether it can be sustained as the agenda broadens and the number of actors grows.
7. Inclusive growth and social outcomes
A significant point of interest was the relationship between innovation and inequality. The discussion explored whether innovation policies tend to concentrate benefits in particular sectors or places, and how systems can be designed to distribute gains more widely.
The Basque experience was discussed as evidence that innovation-led growth can be combined with social inclusion when policies sit within a broader framework of social protection, education investment and collective governance. Participants agreed that innovation systems should be judged not only by economic indicators, but also by their social impact, contribution to wellbeing and capacity to support inclusion.
8. Shared challenges looking ahead
The conversation concluded by identifying several challenges facing both regions:
Talent and demography: attracting and retaining skilled workers, responding to ageing populations, and competing internationally for talent.
Public and private investment: leveraging public investment effectively and increasing private-sector commitment to innovation.
New strategic missions: identifying future transformative projects capable of mobilising diverse actors, and avoiding complacency based on past success.
Science, technology and society: building stronger connections between scientific capability and societal needs, and demonstrating public value from research and innovation investment.
Evaluation and learning: moving beyond programme-level indicators, understanding how innovation ecosystems evolve over time, and developing better approaches to evaluating systemic change.
The discussion suggested that Greater Manchester and the Basque Country offer contrasting but mutually informative examples of place-based innovation policy. Their institutional histories are very different, but both cases underline the importance of long-term commitment, trusted relationships, strong civic institutions, and the ability to connect innovation policy to wider economic and social priorities.
The ISOT project launches 10 community-based pilot projects for social and labor inclusion
To gather insights and lessons learned from the process, the ISOT project continues to promote various opportunities for community listening and dialogue with the stakeholders involved. Evaluation and continuous improvement are integral to the initiative’s design, based on the understanding that the best solutions emerge and work best when they are developed collectively.
ISOT is a project co-financed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Economy and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+). It receives methodological support from the Agirre Lehendakaria Center, which is responsible for the project’s formative evaluation, and from the University of Granada (UGR), which is in charge of developing the methodological guide and systematization.
A diverse, multisectoral space for co-creation
With the purpose of transforming the region’s challenges into real opportunities, a co-creation workshop was held on June 24 with more than 20 participants. The event stood out for the diversity of the participants, successfully bringing together key stakeholders from the area.
The breakout sessions brought together professionals from the Social Services departments of the City Council and the Provincial Council of Granada, students from the University of Granada’s Master’s Program in Psychopedagogical Intervention, and social organizations such as Provivienda, the Don Bosco Foundation, and CIC-Batá. The local business community was represented by leaders from the baking sector—such as the Alfacar Bakers’ Association, Zarina, and Sabor a Pan de Víznar—alongside the true protagonists: the students themselves enrolled in the project’s Bakery and Pastry courses.
This diverse ecosystem gave rise to 10 social innovation prototypes, which were distributed and developed across four working groups:
Table 1: Mobility and Generational Transition in the Bakery Sector
Challenge: Address the lack of adequate transportation for bakery workers to commute to their workplaces and training sessions.
1.-Accessible Individual Transportation Project: Agreements to provide bicycles or electric scooters (through loans or grants) to workers in rural areas without public transportation.
2.-“Let Me Get There Earlier” (Worker-Friendly Spaces): Negotiating flexible schedules with employers and setting up rest areas in public spaces for those who work early in the morning and lack bus connections.
3.-“Our Town, Our Bread”: An initiative in Alfacar focused on reviving and highlighting the town’s historical memory and baking tradition. Through this cultural revival, the goal is to ensure the next generation of artisans in artisan bakeries by bringing together master bakers and apprentices, complemented by campaigns to promote local products.
Table 2: Integration and Administrative Regularization
Challenge: Overcoming the challenges of social and labor market integration for people in the process of regularization.
4. Community Welcome and Counseling Fair: Regular, safe gatherings (fairs) that bring together in one place legal assistance, translators, help with basic administrative procedures, and support from migrants who are already familiar with the area.
5. Physical and digital resource guides: An easy-to-use tool (with maps, QR codes, and pictograms) to bring together all useful information on employment, housing, health, and administrative procedures.
6. Advocacy campaigns: Collecting signatures and mobilizing citizens to urge institutions to change the laws and regulations that hinder inclusion.
7. Awareness-raising in public spaces: Activities in streets and squares to break down prejudices in a hands-on way and improve coexistence among neighbors.
8. Comprehensive welcome program: Employment workshops and mentoring combined with a network where established migrants guide and support those who have just arrived.
Table 3: Overcoming the Language Barrier
Challenge: To facilitate Spanish language learning in training and workplace settings.
9. Pre-employment skills for all: Spanish classes and digital skills training within companies themselves (during breaks or work hours) using artificial intelligence to provide personalized support. The goal is for language learning to be a shared responsibility between the company and the participant, rather than the participant’s sole responsibility.
Table 4: Access to Affordable Housing
Challenge: Reduce the housing shortage and the additional barriers migrants face when renting.
10. “All or Nothing” (Housing Alternatives): Create temporary and permanent housing in towns and cities, using public or donated housing, and offer financial assistance or guarantees to facilitate renting.
Next Steps and Network Vision
These 10 solutions do not operate in isolation; rather, they are interconnected within a single ecosystem. As next steps, the proposals have been systematized within the Ktool digital tool to keep the process active and enable collaborative management. This platform will allow us to designate leaders for each proposal, map resources, and update the solutions based on the lessons learned.
Under the evolutionary evaluation approach, the goal is not to choose a single idea, but to test this set of solutions simultaneously. This will foster networked learning that allows us to quickly and collectively identify what works and what needs to be adjusted.
Inclusive Innovation in Manchester and Cardiff
In June, the Agirre Lehendakaria Center held a series of seminars in Manchester and Cardiff to gain an in-depth understanding of the inclusive innovation models being promoted in England and Wales. These meetings are part of a research project on 50 years of Basque policies in the fields of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) that the ALC is conducting under the scientific direction of Cristina Uriarte.
The first seminar took place at the University of Manchester, thanks to the efforts of Professor Elvira Uyarra (Alliance Manchester Business Research), and the second was held at Cardiff University, organized by Professors Kevin Morgan and Rick Delbridge (Center for Innovation Policy Research). Representatives from research groups specializing in the study of innovation, science, and technology systems participated in both meetings, as did management teams from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Cardiff Capital Region.
In Cardiff, the seminar was chaired by Adam Price, the new Minister for Enterprise and Energy in the Welsh government, who has announced his commitment to strengthening the relationship between his government and Basque institutions to launch a new scientific and technological development agency inspired by the Basque experience.
Arrivals and departures at ALC: Beñat and Iker complete their internships, and Arthur joins the team
Our interns from Mondragon Unibertsitatea have completed their internship at the Agirre Lehendakaria Center, just as a new international participant has joined our IAP program.
Beñat Gorostizaga, a senior in the “Global Digital Humanities” bachelor’s degree program, is completing his internship after working with us since his junior year. During this time, he has actively participated in key projects at the center and, in fact, has just presented his final thesis, which focuses on the listening process for the Guggenheim Urdaibai project.
For his part, Iker Etxebarria Bilbao, a third-year student in the same program, has also completed his time at the center. During this time, he has worked on analyzing the evolution of science, technology, and innovation policies in the Basque Country, from the restoration of self-government in 1979 to their projected trajectory for 2030.
New Arrival to the International Agirre Program (IAP)
At the same time, we welcome Arthur Amalir, who is joining the team through the IAP (International Agirre Program) to contribute to the center’s social innovation projects and strengthen our international network.
Arthur Amalir is pursuing a master's degree in engineering at Columbia University and has a strong background in mathematics, physics, and data analysis. He specializes in designing computer models to understand complex systems.
The First Inter-Neighborhood Meeting of Galdakao Zeugaz Was Held
On June 17, the first inter-neighborhood meeting of Galdakao Zeugaz was held. At this meeting, the results of a full year of work were shared, and participants were shown how the needs raised by residents in the various listening sessions had been addressed. These needs and aspirations were organized into three main themes: community connectivity, neighborhood-based work, and improving communication through digital tools.
During the event, updated profiles of the municipality were presented using K tool, ALC’s digital tool, to illustrate how the municipality’s social map has evolved. Progress was also shared on ongoing projects, such as the initiatives in the Bengoetxe and Tximelarre neighborhoods, the “death cafés,” the integration of digital participation tools, and the pilot program for the “community connector”—a role that is already proving its benefits and will continue to be developed in a new phase.
Collective interpretation
The session included a group workshop to compare perspectives and collaboratively address the following question: How can we create a more connected Galdakao using what we already have? The working groups identified the following key points:
- Table 1: Proposed fostering intergenerational interaction and reclaiming public spaces through daily outdoor activities, as well as focusing on working with children to address screen time.
- Table 2: Suggested physically locating the “conectora” in neighborhoods to serve as a “radar” for the area, coordinating monthly visits by the “conectora” to the health center, and using the Galdakao Zeugaz anniversary to publicize the proj
- Table 3: Emphasized the need to flesh out existing ideas, improve accessibility for the most vulnerable groups, involve local networks such as Aperribai, and actively work toward the inclusion of migrants.
One of the priorities identified in this session was the need to strengthen follow-up and feedback with everyone who has participated at any point in the process, communicating the progress and lessons learned in advancing the Galdakao Zeugaz movement, and maintaining an open listening process shared with the entire community.
To follow up on the various initiatives prioritized in these sessions, it was agreed to strengthen the steering group through the role of “community weavers,” who will work hand in hand with the community connector.
Design of community initiatives in Galdakao Zeugaz is moving forward
On June 17, Tximelarre and Urreta hosted the second co-creation session of the Galdakao Zeugaz project. This meeting served to define the first “seeds”—or small community experiments—that will be launched this summer based on the citizen proposals gathered during the listening phase.
Priorities and Proposals from the Local Ecosystem
During the group work, participants analyzed different ways to adapt health and wellness initiatives from other settings—such as the Bengoetxe walks—to the context of Tximelarre and Urreta. Participants highlighted the opportunity to involve young families through parent-teacher associations (AMPA), as well as groups with specific mobility needs. Key meeting points for organizing these activities were identified as the Senior Citizens’ Association—with the proposal to reclaim the space of its former playroom—and other informal social gathering spots in the neighborhood.
Furthermore, there was a discussion about restoring community memory, particularly regarding the neighborhood’s traditional festivals held in late July—an interest shared by the young people who are moving into the Urreta area. They also explored simple ways to expand mutual support among residents (such as helping with package pickup or caring for children and pets), using visual tools to facilitate communication and neighborly coexistence.
Next Steps and Testing Phase in K Tool
Following the discussion, the immediate actions to be tested over the next two weeks as part of the social innovation process using the k tool were defined:
- Activation of the walks: Presentation of the initiative to local exercise groups to encourage resident participation.
- Reviving Local Memory: Launch of a neighborhood mail campaign to collect historical photographs of the festivities, which will be projected during a community picnic at the Senior Citizens’ Association during the Galdakao festivities. This gathering will serve as a starting point to reignite the conversation about the future of the Capi Neighborhood Association.
- Socialization and dissemination: Share updates and visual materials from the sessions through WhatsApp channels.
These initial experiments will be monitored throughout the month of July. The lessons learned and challenges identified during this phase will be shared at a new review meeting scheduled for late September.
Mayors' Forum at the 3rd World Congress of Age Friendly Cities and Communities
The Kursaal Palace in Donostia hosted the International Forum of Mayors under the title “Municipal Leadership in the Face of the Challenge of an Aging Population.” This political and deliberative gathering took place as part of the 3rd World Congress of Age Friendly Cities and Communities
The event brought together local leaders from diverse international contexts to reflect on the impact of demographic change on urban governance, social cohesion, and public innovation.
Four Global Perspectives on Demographic Change
The opening session, titled “Four Voices to Open the Dialogue” and moderated by Gorka Espiau (ALC), served to compare different global realities regarding longevity. Ricardo Luis Núñez, mayor of São Paulo, reflected on the complexity of managing aging in a large metropolis marked by diversity and social inequalities. From a very different cultural and territorial context, Jeevan Khatri, mayor of Changunarayan (Nepal), highlighted the value of community ties and everyday solidarity. For her part, Mechthild Weber, a member of the Hamburg Parliament, explained how a city-state structure facilitates integrated institutional responses that connect the local and regional levels. Finally, Jon Insausti, mayor of Donostia, advocated for the need to approach aging in a cross-cutting manner across all urban initiatives, empowering older adults as active agents in the city’s development.
A space for discussion and collective building
Following the initial discussion, the forum was organized into dynamic working groups. Participants explored in depth the challenges, tensions, and opportunities arising from the integration of aging into public policy and urban planning.
Through guided questions, participants discussed strategies for building more livable, sustainable, and healthy communities. They also examined the democratic role that older adults should play within government priorities and the new community partnerships needed for the future.
The conclusions and reflections shared during the forum will be compiled into an institutional statement that will serve as a policy contribution to the Congress and the development of the International Network of Friendly Cities and Communities.
The meeting concluded with remarks by Anne Berit, president of the Congress, and Thiago Hérick de Sá, representative of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Collective action, community-based work, and narrative analysis with Carmen van Bruggen
Researcher Carmen van Bruggen of the University of Groningen is conducting her doctoral research on the phenomenon of auzolan (community-based work) in the Frisian region of the Netherlands (known as Mienskip) and is comparing these practices with their counterparts in the Basque Country. Although not widely known, this type of collective and supportive response to community needs is common in traditional cultures and has persisted over time, particularly in rural settings.
The purpose of the meeting with Carmen van Bruggen was to learn more about this research and to explore how it relates to other research projects and programs being carried out by ALC. Since it is not possible to promote transformative innovation processes that do not respond to the social and cultural dynamics of the region, we are interested in examining how we are currently interpreting these types of collaborative strategies and what form they are taking.
From the farmhouse to the Mondragon Cooperativism
In this context, the discussion focused on the historical relationship between the traditional farming community and cooperation, highlighting how its self-sufficiency did not preclude community collaboration for tasks that exceeded individual capacity. An analogy was drawn between this model and the Mondragon cooperative system: autonomous structures interconnected through a network, a balance that has historically fostered greater social resilience.
K Tool and the Guggenheim Case
From a methodological perspective, participants discussed the potential of K Tool, the digital community listening platform developed and used by ALC for large-scale qualitative data processing, referring to the extensive work conducted in connection with the public debate on the expansion of the Guggenheim Museum. During that process, more than 1,000 real-life narratives were collected to identify underlying patterns and conduct comparative analyses. Thanks to this tool, it was possible to structure different levels of interpretation and systematically cross-reference people’s stories with their everyday actions.
Following this first meeting in Bilbao, Carmen van Bruggen will continue her research in Gipuzkoa over the coming days.
New York Seminar Marks the 90th Anniversary of the First Basque Government and Honors the Legacy of Lehendakari Agirre
This year marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the first Basque Government. To commemorate this milestone, Agirre Lehendakaria Center (ALC), in collaboration with its strategic partner AC4 at Columbia University - Climate School, organized an academic seminar in New York on July 14th.
Held at Columbia University, the seminar honored the legacy of Lehendakari (President) José Antonio Agirre and connected his ideas and actions with contemporary debates on the use of new digital tools to address political polarization and build new infrastructures for democratic deepening.
The seminar provided an open forum for discussion on the major challenges facing democratic systems in today’s international context, with particular attention to the damaging effects of polarization. It also presented the strategies being developed by the Basque Government and the Government of Catalonia in this field.
More specifically, the seminar introduced the initiatives that AC4 at Columbia University and ALC are developing in the digital sphere. It also explored new avenues for collaboration between the institutions on democratic deepening and the management of polarization in digital environments.
The event brought together leading academics, policymakers, and innovators working at the intersection of democracy, conflict resolution, and digital innovation. Participants included Jeffrey Shaman, Vice Dean of the Columbia Climate School; Beth Fisher-Yoshida, and Josh D. Fisher from AC4 at Columbia University; senior representatives of the Basque Government, including Ander Caballero and Asier Aranbarri; German Rigau and colleagues from HiTZ – Basque Center for Language Technology at the University of the Basque Country; and representatives of the Government of Catalonia, including Clelia Colombo and Professor Gemma Galdón.
Agirre Lehendakaria Center’s commitment is to build on the opportunities for collaboration explored in New York. Specifically, ALC will work with AC4 at Columbia University and HiTZ – Basque Center for Language Technology to develop new digital tools capable of identifying the mechanisms that drive political polarization and responding to them through new models of collaborative democracy.
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Collective intelligence responding to emergency situations
Agirre Lehendakaria Center welcomed Jayne Engle, a Senior Fellow at the center and an adjunct professor at McGill University in Montreal. During the meeting, Jayne Engle shared the experience of Polity, a cooperative that supports efforts to deepen democracy in digital environments.
Among other initiatives, Polity has collaborated with Engaged California through its digital platform, Ethelo. Engaged California is a platform for collaborative response between public institutions and civil society to the emergency situation that arose last year in California due to the wildfires that devastated the state. This tool allows users to visualize the complexity of different perspectives and response suggestions so that participants can prioritize proposals, weigh them, add comments, and see in real time how their opinions influence decision-making by public institutions.
