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Results of the Urdaibai Listening Process, what now?
Urdaibai has everything it needs to become an advanced learning space for the sustainable human development of Basque society. In addition to the characteristics of the environment, institutional and social efforts to promote a new transformation of the territory and, above all, the commitment of its citizens, make it possible to attract talent and investment to test a set of specific initiatives that can subsequently be scaled up to the entire Basque Country.
This report compiles the findings of the listening process in Busturialdea-Urdaibai on the possible expansion of the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum in the region and complements the previous report published in July 2025. During the 10 months of this process, 1,002 individual narratives were collected and verified through seven collective interpretation sessions. All this information was verified and enriched at the international seminar held at Ekoetxea on December 1 and 2, 2025.
Now that Basque institutions have decided not to proceed with the museum expansion project in Urdaibai, this document remains valid for enriching the debate on how Basque society can tackle the necessary socio-ecological transition in the region.
During the listening process, five narrative patterns emerged that reflect the different ways of positioning oneself in relation to the initiative and the future of the region. As we have pointed out, it is not possible to speak of majorities or minorities, but rather of prevalences, understood as trends with greater presence, density, argumentative maturity, or repetition over time. The interpretation of prevalences has been possible thanks to the volume, frequency, and intensity of narratives and the seven contrast sessions held during 2025, as reflected in the preliminary report on narrative patterns. The narratives identified reveal cross-cutting effects between conservation, tourism, housing, employment, and mobility. Therefore, the narratives have reflected that the debate is not only about the expansion of the museum, but also about how to address the socio-ecological transition of the region and what role each agent in the region can play.
There are differences, but also broad consensus on the development of the region. Based on the narratives gathered, no one questions the need to combine environmental protection with the socio-economic development of Busturialdea-Urdaibai, or the framework of the biosphere reserve. As was evident at the international seminar, there are not many similar conflicts in which such broad consensus exists. This consensus provides a unique foundation for building a shared future in the region based on diversity.
Regardless of whether participants rejected the project, supported it, or had doubts, they agreed that the region needs to act, move forward, and make strategic decisions as a pioneer of green development in a biosphere reserve. The initial Not In My Back Yard attitude (in which many people who rejected the project viewed it favorably in other places) has evolved into a more nuanced position focused on the future of Urdaibai. The process itself has made it possible to highlight and compare different ways of viewing the project and the development of the region. Thanks to this exercise in public dialogue, all positions have introduced nuances that did not previously exist in their discourse, and common elements have been made explicit.
Once the decision was made not to proceed with the museum expansion project, the concerns and suggestions of those organizations that opposed it were acknowledged. At the same time, the institutions that facilitated this process, taking political and electoral risks that are normally considered excessive, were able to see how their commitment to the development of the region was enriched by very specific contributions. All the efforts of these social and institutional actors should be recognized. Instead of a win-lose confrontation, the listening process has made it possible to envision a future scenario in which the entire region can win.
What now?
The challenge from now on is not to close the debate, but to restart the discussion and give it new content, preventing the void that has been created from turning into paralysis or disaffection. Instead of proposing new specific solutions, the narratives collected call for strengthening the current strategic plan with new initiatives that complement the necessary investments in infrastructure that have already been committed to. These initiatives should address the different topics gathered during the listening process (Housing, Transportation, Culture, Employment, Tourism, Culture, and Ecology) rather than focusing all efforts on a specific area. In this context, it is suggested that we explore what other specific contributions the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao could make to the region, now that the decision has been made not to continue with the expansion project.
Considering the above, the listening process could be kept active (integrating other existing participation processes) as a stable space for public debate and feedback, reinforcing its educational nature and its role in generating advanced knowledge. This would involve continuing to incorporate new voices—especially young people, migrants, and residents of small municipalities—promoting intergenerational and territorial dialogue, and exploring tools capable of simulating new development scenarios. Far from being exhausted in a specific discussion, the listening process could be transformed into a strategic tool for managing tensions between protection and development, articulating a collective project that combines identity, sustainability, and well-being.
Based on this experience, we can affirm that Urdaibai meets all the conditions to become an advanced learning space for the sustainable human development of Basque society. In addition to the characteristics of the environment, institutional and social efforts to promote a new transformation of the territory and, above all, the commitment of its citizens, make it possible to attract talent and investment to test a set of specific initiatives that can subsequently be scaled up to the whole of the Basque Country.
Third meeting of the Transis Lab project
From November 19 to 21, 2025, ALC participated in the third meeting of the Transis Lab project, held at FICOBA, in Irun, bringing together all the consortium partners to evaluate progress and strengthen cross-border cooperation in social innovation for longevity.
On November 19, the First Transis Lab Transfer Seminar took place, where the project's objectives and interim results were presented, as well as FRAGILAB pilot experiences. Transfer workshops were held to explore opportunities for adopting these initiatives in urban and rural environments.
On November 20 and 21, the third meeting of the Transis Lab consortium took place, bringing together all the partners to take stock of the project's progress and coordinate the next steps of this cross-border initiative.
Itziar Moreno, from ALC, explained the methodology to develop the TransisLab Agenda. This methodology combines literature review, interviews with social policy managers, and workshops with cross-border entities, with the aim of designing a cooperation framework that promotes innovative solutions, a cross-border ecosystem of social innovation, and a shared training and experimentation infrastructure. The agenda will serve to implement six pilot projects that connect family and local social and health systems, improving the lives of 400 frail elderly people in rural areas.
We participated in the 13th European Forum on Experiences and Trends in Innovation for Inclusion
On Wednesday, November 26, ALC participated in the 13th European Forum on Experiences and Trends in Innovation for Inclusion, organized by the European Network for Innovation for Inclusion and led by Acción contra el Hambre in Madrid.
Gorka Espiau participated in the session “The goal of systemic change,” sharing how ALC works in open social innovation and community transformation, and how collaboration between citizens, institutions, and other actors can generate more inclusive and sustainable solutions.
In this edition, the forum showed how to connect evidence with political decision-making, combining theory with concrete experiences. It highlighted initiatives that, thanks to the joint work of public institutions, companies, and social organizations, are driving systemic change, transforming communities, and promoting inclusive employment and entrepreneurship.
The event, which was broadcast live on YouTube and LinkedIn, established itself as a key space for inspiring more inclusive and resilient policies across Europe.
ALC presents K-Tool at the 2nd Catalan Citizen Science Congress
ALC presented K-Tool, its digital tool for promoting systemic and collaborative innovation processes, at the 2nd Catalan Citizen Science Congress, held on November 18 at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB).
In the 37th Microtalk, entitled “K-Tool (Digital Tool). From a systemic vision to shared innovation to address complex challenges,” Beth Espinalt (DOER) and Raimon Mirada (Bestiario) showed how this platform facilitates the observation of complex social realities, the identification of narratives and opportunities for transformation, and the shared management of knowledge.
K-Tool reflects the ALC's experience in open social innovation and community transformation processes, integrating qualitative data, multiple perspectives, and advanced visualizations to support decision-making and the co-creation of solutions.
The 2025 Citizen Science Congress left a clear conclusion: the country is undergoing a paradigm shift. Research is no longer conceived solely in laboratories, but through collaboration between institutions, citizens, schools, businesses, and administrations. It is a path that requires time, stability, and strategic vision, but one that is already generating a new collective imaginary, in which citizens not only observe science, but actively construct it.
ALC took part in the Master’s Degree in Design for Change at Kunsthal Bilbao
As part of the Master's Degree in Design for Change at Kunsthal Bilbao, ALC gave a session entitled ‘Social innovation approach to tackling complex challenges’.
It was led by Julen Larrañaga, Mikel Álvarez and Beñat Oiartzabal, project coordinators at ALC, who shared with the students the fundamentals and tools of the systemic social innovation approach promoted by the centre.
The aim of the training was to introduce students to methodologies that enable them to understand and transform complex ecosystems through collective intelligence, deep listening, shared interpretation and co-creation. Through participatory dynamics, ways of generating sustainable change in line with the needs of communities and organisations were explored.
During the workshop, participants used K-Tool, a digital tool developed by ALC and Bestiario that helps organise and visualise complex information about social innovation ecosystems. This tool provides a better understanding of the connections between actors and projects, identifies the factors that drive or hinder change, and assesses the impact of actions in real time.
Students were able to experiment directly with the tool, reflecting on its potential to improve collaboration, strengthen decision-making, and foster a culture of continuous innovation.
K-Tool 2.0: AI to support social transitions
K-Tool is evolving in two dimensions: on the one hand, it is improving its management, information loading, comprehension, and usability; on the other, it is incorporating Artificial Intelligence to enhance narrative analysis, automate processes, and support decision-making in complex social ecosystems.
In recent months, K-Tool has entered a new phase of development as a platform for addressing complex social challenges from a collaborative approach. Designed to facilitate ecosystem mapping, deep listening, narrative analysis, and experimentation portfolio management, the tool is progressively integrating Artificial Intelligence capabilities into all its modules.
The incorporation of AI has two main objectives: to automate information loading and organization tasks, and to enhance the deep and segmented narrative analysis that until now was applied manually. This translates into functional improvements such as automatic audio transcription, analysis of relevant images, videos, and texts to better understand existing social dynamics, extraction of significant quotes and detection of narrative patterns, generation of profiles (different positions on the same reality), and the possibility of prompting the dataset using an intelligent assistant, the K-Pilot.
Following the methodological criteria developed by the Agirre Lehendakaria Center and AC4-Columbia University over more than 10 years of experience in narrative analysis and the inclusion of the cultural dimension of social innovation processes - tested in more than 20 countries and at different scales-, it will include a developmental evaluation panel that shows how perceptions evolve over time and whether or not the project portfolio responds (or partially responds, or contradicts) to the different narratives and perceptions.
K-Tool will also make it easier to integrate relevant agents and suggest automatic connections between projects and actors, facilitating the detection of synergies and gaps in ecosystems. All these functionalities will have real-time validation and verification options, constantly feeding the model to ensure that automation acts as a support and not as a substitute for the work carried out so far. Alongside these functions, we are working on improving accessibility and use, with a new, clearer landing page nd more accessible to different audiences and the incorporation of explanatory guides.
These new features, whose development will continue in the coming months, will reinforce the cultural and anticipatory dimension of K-Tool, increasing its usefulness for decision-making in complex contexts. The qualitative datasets identified and generated for the different projects will allow us to capture nuances, diversity, and social changes, enriching the data with socio-cultural context and temporal tracking, necessary for effective narrative analysis.
Looking ahead, the data generated in the various processes will enable us to model and simulate potential impact scenarios: from direct project effects to adjacent impacts (e.g., rising housing prices) or narrative transformations. This will open the door to large-scale assessments of more significant changes in social perceptions.
Lokarriak: Learning Community at Fundación Argia
On September 16, Argia Fundazioa hosted the first session of the Lokarriak Learning Community, in which ALC conducted a workshop aimed at strengthening the role of people who act as a link between the community and social organizations.
This first session focused on sharing community experiences and introducing the basics of systemic mapping, a key tool for understanding the complexity of local contexts and visualizing possible connections between actors, initiatives, and needs.
The learning itinerary will continue with a second session focused on systemic mapping and an introduction to community listening, and will conclude with a third session working on community listening and collective interpretation.
Lokarriak play a fundamental role in promoting local transformation processes, as they facilitate the creation of bridges between individuals, groups, and institutions. Their role not only helps to identify needs and opportunities in the area, but also contributes to building trust, fostering collaboration, and strengthening the sense of belonging within the community.
No. 2 of K magazine is now available
Transforming care is transforming the system
Care has been placed at the center of the great challenges facing our society. For this reason, in this second issue of K magazine we dedicate a space to reflect deeply on the future of care in the Basque Country, from a plural and critical point of view.
In this edition, we count on the participation of thinkers, researchers and collectives that approach care from different angles. For example, Pikara Magazine provides a clear and necessary analysis in its article Basic concepts to understand care, which invites us to understand the social and political dimension of this issue.
We will discover the situation of care in the Basque Country thanks to Euskal Herriko Bilgune Feminista, which presents the current reality of care in our society through multiple and curious data.
On the other hand, Gotzone Olarra analyzes how Basque society faces a care system that is still deeply unequal, highlighting the urgent need for transformation.
In “Mujeres en la sombra” we will discover the crucial role of migrant women workers in the front line of care. These women face a vulnerable and complex reality that society must recognize and value. The analysis has been developed by Emgaili Jatri.
These are just some of the many contributions that make up an edition that invites us to rethink and transform the care system to build a fairer society.
Connecting the Dots: Collaborative Mapping of Ireland’s Mental Health Ecosystem
Rethink Ireland and ALC support the digital mapping of the Irish mental health ecosystem
As part of the ongoing collaboration between Agirre Lehendakaria Center and Rethink Ireland, a new working session with members of the Community of Practice (CoP) on Mental Health took place on 24 June. The session, which brought together around 25 participants, focused on advancing the collective mapping of key actors and relationships within Ireland’s social innovation ecosystem in the area of mental health.
Following an opening that emphasised the importance of active and sustained participation, the group revisited key insights from earlier phases of the process. Here, mapping is understood not as a static exercise, but as a dynamic tool to visualise interdependencies, identify gaps, and strengthen strategic connections across a diverse network of actors.
In small group discussions, participants explored the relationships between their own organisations and other relevant stakeholders. This exercise helped reveal patterns of interconnection, organisations that appeared across multiple maps, and some notable absences. It also prompted reflection on how to engage actors who, despite their thematic relevance, have not yet become involved in the process.
After visualising these interconnections using the K Tool, participants recognised its value in better understanding their own positioning, accessing information about other organisations, and making the ecosystem’s dynamics more visible.
The session closed with a shared reflection on which actors should be prioritised in the next phase of the listening and co-creation process, as the CoP continues to evolve and deepen its collective work.
ALC and Rethink Ireland promoting systemic change in mental health
After the workshop held in Dublin on February 26-27, ALC and Rethink Ireland continue their collaboration to implement a systemic change approach in the field of mental health in Ireland.
During the meeting, facilitated by ALC, we worked with the Rethink Ireland team and key players in the sector on tools such as system mapping, deep listening, collective interpretation and co-creation. One of the key moments was the presentation of the K Tool, a platform for visualizing and analyzing narratives to better understand system dynamics.
This new phase of collaboration will focus on mapping the Irish mental health ecosystem, listening to stakeholders and beneficiaries, and co-creating new interventions that strengthen the collective impact of the sector. The entire process will be accompanied by ALC with a “learning-by-doing” approach, aimed at generating sustainable, people-centered impact.