Basque Country and Sweden link their social innovation ecosystems
Agirre Lehendakaria Center coordinated Anna Tengqvist’s visit on April 23 and 24, as part of an exchange designed to strengthen ties between the social innovation ecosystems of the Basque Country and Sweden.
As coordinator of the Forum for Social Innovation at Malmö University and the Swedish Competence Center for Social Innovation, Tengqvist leads a national platform that brings together universities, public institutions, and civil society. Her visit facilitated an in-depth exchange of knowledge on collaborative governance and institutional strategies for social transformation.
Two days of exchange and shared learning
The first day focused on the connection between public policy and the university. In Vitoria-Gasteiz, Anna met with Asier Aranbarri (Basque Government) to discuss how institutions support social innovation. Later, at the Basque Parliament, she spoke with Xabier Barandiaran about democratic innovation and future joint research with Malmö University. The day concluded with a discussion of the University of the Basque Country’s (EHU) social impact strategy with Ugo Mayor and a working session with the ALC team on methodologies and current projects.
The second day focused on territorial strategy and citizen initiatives in Gipuzkoa. The Provincial Council’s Strategy Team, with Iosu Arraiz and Olatz Errazkin, shared models of governance and local ecosystems. The tour continued at Kutxa Fundazioa to explore eco-social alliances and concluded at HUHEZI (Mondragon University) with a discussion on education and knowledge transfer.