Euskadi, a competitive country · nº81. alea 2008 GAURKO GAIAK T he Basque economy has not simply caught up but has overtaken the current average figures for the 27 states in the

nº81. alea 2008

THE UNIVERSITY OF COLUMBIA GAVE THEKONPONDU.NET INITIATIVE THE THUMBS UP

THE UNIVERSITY OF COLUMBIA GAVE THEKONPONDU.NET INITIATIVE THE THUMBS UP

Euskadi, a competitive countryEuskadi, a competitive country

3 • Aurkezpena Achievements and challenges for Euskadi. José María Agirre Eskisabel.

GAURKO GAIAK / CURRENT EVENTS: Euskadi, a competitive country4 • Leading human development

6 • The Basque Country’s per capita incomeexceeds the EU-27 average by 36%

9 • In 2007 Euskadi approached full employmentwith an unemployment rate of just 3.1%

12 • The integral Basque environmental policy, in

synch with European policy

14 • 66% of Basque companies are innovative, versus 54.3% in Europe

16 • The Basque Education System performs wellLeonardo/Erasmus, two education schemes within the European Union

20 • konpondu.net - Building peace

EUSKAL GAZTEAK MUNDUAN

22 • Diego Ardohain and Eli Gorostegi

EUSKADITIK

24 • The Lehendakari participated in the demonstrationdefending Basque institutions

25 • The Joaquín Achúcarro Foundation was set up in Dallas

26 • The Basque Innovation Agency, Innobasque, has more

than 400 members

FOREIGN AFFAIRS27 • Ana Agirre met 40 representatives from Basque companies working in China

28 • The Minister for Justice, Employment and Social Security signs agreements in theDominican Republic and Chile

EUSKAL ETXEAK29 • Jon and Nicolás Uriarte, awarded “Clarín” prizes for sport

CUISINE 31 • Restaurante Zazpirak Bat Stuffed sardines

AURKIBIDEA / SUMMARY

EGILEA / AUTHOREusko Jaurlaritza-KanpoHarremanetarako Idazkaritza Nagusia/ Basque Government – GeneralForeign Affairs Secretary/GobiernoVasco-Secretaría General de AcciónExterior

C/ Navarra, 2 01007 VITORIA-GASTEIZTelephone: +34 945 01 79 [email protected]

ZUZENDARIA / DIRECTORJosu Legarreta Bilbao

KOORDINAKETA ETA IDAZKETAKazeta5 [email protected]

ARGITARATZAILEA / PUBLISHEREusko Jaurlaritzaren ArgitalpenZerbitzu NagusiaServicio Central de Publicaciones delGobierno Vasco

DISEINU ETA MAKETAZIOA /LAYOUT AND DESIGN Didart

INPRIMATZAILEA / PRINTINGxxxxxxx.

ISSN: 1579-4229

L.G./D.L.: BI-1090-01

n° 81. alea - 2008. urtea

Azaleko argazkia/ Cover photo:Mikel Arrazola

nº81. alea 2008

THE UNIVERSITY OF COLUMBIA GAVE THEKOONPONDU.NET INITIATIVE THE THUMBS UP

THE UNIVERSITY OF COLUMBIA GAVE THEKOONPONDU.NET INITIATIVE THE THUMBS UP

Euskadi, a competitive countryEuskadi, a competitive country

Opening letter

JOSÉ MARÍA AGIRRE ESKISABELBasque Government Consultantfor Economic-Social Affairs

Presentation

nº81. alea 2008 GAURKO GAIAK

The Basque economy has notsimply caught up but hasover taken the currentaverage figures for the 27

states in the European Union. Ifthe average wealth generated perperson in the European Unioncounts as 100%, the BasqueCountry’s figures go way beyondthis, reaching a level of 136%.TheBasque Country’s economy hasgrown 4% annually for the lasttwelve years making their game ofcatch-up with Europe a thing ofthe past.

Another way of looking at theBasque Country’s economicevolution is to follow the labor

market, looking at how manypeople are actively working andunemployment figures. Today, theBasque Country has 300,000 moreworkers than twelve years ago andunemployment has dropped toapproximately 3% (one of thelowest rates in the EuropeanUnion). Twelve years ago theunemployment rate was over 20%.

With this economic growth andthe current employment situation,men and women in the BasqueCountry have achieved a level ofprofessionalism and well-being thathas been inconceivable up to now.This prosperity can be seen insocial services, education and

health systems available for everyBasque Country resident.

This labor market evolutionand economic growth dataillustrate that we have comethrough our first great economictransformation, to meet EuropeanUnion challenges successfully. Nowwe must tackle our second greateconomic transformation:innovation. This is our challengefor the next few years, aiming toset a benchmark for innovation inEurope. In other words, this is theBasque Country’s challenge tomake the major definite leaptowards innovation.

Achievements and challenges for Euskadi

3

4 nº81. alea 2008

The Basque Country can compete with Norway,Iceland and Australia in terms of the highestlevels of human development in the world.Each year the United Nations produces

statistics to measure social well-being and progressmade by almost all States on the planet, taking intoaccount life expectancy at birth, adult literacy rates,enrolment rates at different education levels andGDP.

The last United Nations Development Programme’s(UNDP) report in 2004, established a global list of177 States, ranked in order of their living conditions.The study allocates each state a Human DevelopmentIndex (HDI) on a scale of 0 to 1, depending on lifeexpectancy at birth, literacy rate among over 15s,access to education and GDP per capita.

Eustat (Basque Institute of Statistics) has beencalculating the Basque Country’s HDI since 2001using exactly the same methodology. The 2007version concludes that Basque society is one of themost prosperous and best developed on the planet.With an HDI of 0.959, it s tands third, behindNorway (0.965) and Iceland (0.960) and in front ofAustralia, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, Japan andUnited States, in that order.

CURRENT EVENTS

EUSKADI, HERRI LEHIAKORRA

Leading human development

Euskal gizartea planetako oparoenetakoaeta garatuenetakoa da. Hala adierazten duEustatek egindako ikerketa batek.Herrialdeen gizarte ongizatea neurtzekoNazio Batuek erabilitako sistema duoinarri Eustaten ikerlanak.

NorwayIcelandBasque Country

AustraliaIrelandSwedenCanadaJapanUnited StatesSwitzerlandThe NetherlandsFinlandLuxemburgBelgiumAustriaDenmarkFranceItalyUnited KingdomSpain

New Zealand

Argentina

Chile

Uruguay

Cuba

nº81. alea 2008 5

The UN report puts Spain in 19thplace with 0.938. Niger brings upthe rear with 0.311.

Recent Improvements

Since 2001, the average Eustatindex had risen from 0.940 tocurrently stand at 0.959 althoughthe Basque Country continues to improve all aspectsmeasured by the HDI.

The Basque Country’s strong position is, above all,down its high life expectancy at birth: the highest inthe world, after Japan and Hong Kong. It stands onan equal footing with Iceland at 80.9 years. Since1976, life expectancy in the Basque Country hasincreased 6.8 years for both men and women. Basquewomen born in 2005 can expect to live to 84.26years old while men’s life expectancy stands at 77.2.

In terms of public health, tumors are the majorthreat to life expectancy. If they could be completelyeliminated, men would live four and a half yearslonger and women three years. On the other hand,damage caused by external causes of death isslighter, reducing lives by little more than one yearfor men and five months for women. Just looking at

traffic accidents alone, included asan external cause, the reductionstands at five months for men andonly two months for women.

The education indicator also doeswell because of the high score inthe over 15s literacy sub index. Onthe other hand, if the sub indexcombining primary, secondary and

post secondary education ratios is taken intoaccount, the Basque Country falls behind otherregions.

As for GDP per inhabitant, always measured in termsof purchasing power parity for each country, theBasque Country has risen to 30,500 euros annually,although still a long way off the US’s 37,500 euros.With the current exchange rate s tanding at 1euro=1.45 US dollars, this would give 44,225dollars for the Basque Country and 54,375 for theUS.

Within the Basque Country, Álava has attained anHDI of 0.971 standing out in front of the otherprovinces. It registers the highest rates of lifeexpectancy, academic registration and personalincome. Gipuzkoa, in particular, has the highest levelof adult literacy.

GAURKO GAIAK

THE BASQUE COUNTRY, A COMPETITIVE COUNTRY

Basque society is one

of the most prosperous

and best developed on

the planet.

GDP PER CAPITA (PPP = Purchasing Power Parity) : EVOLUTION


6 nº81. alea 2008CURRENT EVENTS

The Basque Country’s per capitaincome exceeds the EU-27

average by 36%

Euskal AutonomiaErkidegoko per capita errentaEspainiako batezbestekoa baino % 31handiagoa da, etaEuropakoa baino % 36 handiagoa.Horren arrazoiaokupazio-tasa handiaeta produktibitateadira.

Basque C.SpainEU-27

Basque Country

Spain

EU-27

The Basque Country’s spectacular economicgrowth over the last 25 years has not beendown to pure chance, but it is reaping thebenefit of a series of timely strategic decisions

made by institutions, the business sector and Basquesociety in general. That is how the Basque Institute ofCompetitiveness describes the situation in the BasqueCountry Competitiveness Report stating that theBasque population enjoys 20% higher per capitaincome than Spain and 12% higher than theEuropean average.

From 1980, after the Gernika Statute was approved,a series of powers was transferred to Basqueinstitutions creating the s tar ting point for thecomparative data appearing in this article. TheBasque Country began with slightly higher per capitaincome than Spain, although clearly lower than theEuropean Union (comprising 15 countries at thetime) and way below the United States. However, ifwe draw a veil over the first years of this period, whenthe Basque Country lost ground not only to the EU-15 and the US, but also to Spain, the rest of theperiod, with the exception of stagnant per capitaincome growth during the crisis in the early 90’s, theBasque Country’s per capita growth clearly outstripsSpain and the EU-15, even out-performing theAmerican economy. As a consequence, the BasqueCountry has attained a PPP (Purchasing PowerParity) of 30,000 euros per capita income in 2006,

which –as has been shown- is 30% higher than inSpain, 12% higher than the EU-15, although still20% behind the US.

Employment and productivity rate results

The increase in Basque per capita income has beenparticularly vigorous and constant since 1995. With theexception of Ireland (whose improved position is greatlylinked to foreign capital penetration, consequentlyreducing its spectacular growth significantly if the percapita income were to be calculated with the GNP,instead of the GDP) and some expanding countries(whose improving income levels are partly explained bystarting from a much lower level), the Basque Countryis one of the regions included in this chart with thestrongest income growth in this period. As aconsequence, it is only eclipsed by Luxembourg, Ireland,Holland, Denmark (in the EU) and the US.

The Basque Country’s excellent position is onlytarnished if it is compared with regions within the EU-15 rather than countries. In 2004, according to theREGUE database**, the Basque Country stood 66th in alist of 146 European regions in terms of per capitaincome expressed in euros, although in terms of percapita income improvement over the 1995-2004 period,its position was better: seventeenth. In accordance withthe “Regions. Statistical yearbook 2007” publication,

nº81. alea 2008 7GAURKO GAIAK

LEVEL AND VARIATION OF PER CAPITA INCOME IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY AND SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND THE US


**REGUE: a regional innovation and competitiveness systems database produced jointly by the IAIF from the Complutense University in Madrid and theBasque Institute of Competitiveness.


using data from 2004, the Basque Country has joinedthe group of regions with the highest per capita income(expressed in PPP): 125% above the EU-27.

This per capita income can be explained as thecombined result of the employment rate (measured asa percentage of employment over population) and theapparent work productivity (measured as GDP peremployee). While the former, having reached a certainlevel, hits social and physical growth limits, the lattercould grow indefinitely in the mid and long terminsofar as it fundamentally depends on technologyand innovation. This capability to improve long termwell-being explains why many analysts considerproductivity comparable to competitiveness.

Over the entire period, the Basque Country’s percapita growth (over 3% of the cumulative annualgrowth rate) has leveled out equally in both areas. InSpain, less growth in per capita income (practically0.6 percentage points less) can mainly be explainedby lower contribution from productivity (0.4) and, toa lesser extent, by the employment rate (0.2). On theother hand, the lower growth rates for EU-15 and USper capita income (growing at rates of 1.8% and 2%respectively) is due to the lower employment growth(0.5% and 0.4% respectively), but is not down to

lower productivity, since this has grown at a similarrate to the Basque Country (1.4% and 1.6%respectively). So, the Basque Country demonstratesgreater per capita income improvement than Spaindue to greater productivity improvements, and to alesser extent, its employment rate; compared to theEU-15 and the US, the Basque Country has improvedits position because it has managed to increase itsemployment rate.

Per capita income performance has not beenconsistent over the entire period. If we were tocharacterize two long periods: 1980-1995 and 1995-2006, the Basque Country made an outstandingimprovement in the latter period, achieving growth of1.2 annual percentage points over Spain, 1.7 over theUS and 2.3 over the EU-15. In the case of Spain, thedifference is fundamentally due to a higher rate ofproductivity growth (1.1% in the Basque, versus0.1% in Spain), whilst the Basque Country’s incomeimprovement over the EU-15 and the US rests solelyon increases in the employment rate (2.8% in theBasque Country, versus 0.6% in the EU-15 and 0.3%in the US) and not productivity: in fact, productivitygrowth is lower in the Basque Country (1.1%) thanin the US (1.9%) over this period.

PER CAPITA GDP (PPP) : EU-27 RANKING

Luxembourg

Denmark

Austria

The Netherlands

Belgium

Germany

Sweden

Italy

UK

France

Ireland

Finland

Basque CountryEU 27SpainCyprus

Greece

Malta

Portugal

Slovenia

Czech Rep.

Slovakia

Hungary

Poland

Estonia

Lithuania

Latvia

Bulgaria

Romania

Luxembourg

The Netherlands

Austria

Denmark

Ireland

Belgium

Sweden

Germany

Basque CountryFinland

Italy

UK

France

EU 27SpainCyprus

Greece

Malta

Slovenia

Portugal

Czech Rep.

Hungary

Slovakia

Poland

Estonia

Lithuania

Latvia

Bulgaria

Romania

Luxembourg

Ireland

The Netherlands

Basque CountryAustria

Denmark

Belgium

Sweden

UK

Finland

Germany

France

Italy

SpainEU 27Greece

Cyprus

Slovenia

Czech Rep.

Malta

Portugal

Estonia

Hungary

Slovakia

Lithuania

Latvia

Poland

Romania

Bulgaria

In the Basque Country, 66.5% of people agedbetween 16 and 64 have a job, and i tconsequently stands thirteenth in Europe interms of employment rates. With just 3.1% of

the population unemployed, it is close to what isknown as full employment. Employment records weresmashed in 2007 with a grand total of 974,400people going out to work. During this same period atotal of 2,500 jobs were created.

The spectacular results in terms of reducingunemployment in the Basque Country come shiningthrough in the statistics. In 1994 the unemploymentrate rose to 25% for men and 35% for women. Elevenyears later it had dropped to 5.7% (4.1% for men and4.5% for women), the EU-25’s seventh lowest rate,

which continued to fall to 3.1% in 2007. As aconsequence, the Basque Country easily falls withinwhat experts consider full employment, under 5%.

Last year, the unemployment figures registered in theBasque National Employment Institute stood at74,852.This dropped by 1,621 (-2.13%), placing itthird as a region in terms of slowing unemployment overthe last year. In the fourth quarter of 2007, there were31,400 unemployed people in the Basque Country, thelowest figures since statistics began. Álava deserves aspecial mention, as only 3,000 people are unemployedgiving an unemployment rate of 2%.

By gender, the Basque male unemployment rate is thefifth lowest in Europe.The most spectacular evolutioncan be seen in the female unemployment rate,which hasdropped from 33% little over a decade ago to 7.1% onaverage in 2005, the fifth lowest in Europe.

Regarding the long term unemployment rate (peoplewho have not worked for a year or more), the Basque


The Basque Country approached fullemployment in 2007 with an

unemployment rate of just 3.1% Euskadiko langabezi kopurua%3,1era jaitsi da. Iaz errekorra lortu zen: 974.400 pertsona lanean.



Country has risen from the very bottom of the Europeanpile in 2000 to stand tenth in 2004.

The unemployment rate dropped 0.3 points in 2007.Outof 74,582 people registered as unemployed at the end oflast year in the Basque Country, 31,068 were men and43,514 were women. Furthermore, 5,677 out of thetotal number were under 25. By province, the biggestdecrease in unemployment in 2007 was seen in Bizkaia,with 1,027 no longer claiming benefits, constituting a2.43% drop. Nevertheless, unemployment also fell inGipuzkoa, with 531 less unemployed (-2.26%) and inÁlava,where 63 less people were registered,0.60% lessthan in 2006. As a result, the number of peopleunemployed at the close of 2007 was 41,151 in Bizkaia,22,932 in Gipuzkoa and 10,499 in Álava.

By sectors, the greatest unemployment levels werefound in the service sector (48,603 unemployed).Thiswas followed by industry with 13,391,construction with7,073, the ‘without prior employment’group with 4,713and agriculture with 802.

Unemployment dropped in a similar fashion for bothmen and women, so that by the end of 2007 the numberof men continued to slightly exceed women. As for age,

the unemployment rate for young people under 25continued to decrease to 7.5%,compared to 50% in theearly 90’s.

Record number of people employed in 2007

The Lisbon strategy (the European Union’sdevelopment plan, approved by the European Council inLisbon in March 2000, with the strategic objective ofturning the Union’s economy into the most competitiveand dynamic in the world,before 2010) intends to attaina 70% employment rate by 2010 (67% in 2005).From57.7% in 2000, the Basque Country has come close tothe 67% set in the Lisbon strategy for 2005. Thisrepresents an extraordinary leap. The EU-25 has


EMPLOYMENT RATE (AGE 15-64): EVOLUTION

Regarding the long term unemployment

rate, the Basque Country has risen from

the very bottom of the European pile in

2000 to stand tenth in 2004.


improved by one point over this period. The BasqueCountry stands thirteenth in Europe in terms ofemployment rates. Since 2000, it has overtaken fivecountries but it still has a long way to go.

In the case of female employment, the Lisbon Strategyset a rate of 60% by 2010 (57% in 2005).From 43.3%in 2000, the Basque Country has come close to the64.5% set for 2005.The figures speak for themselves.The EU-25 only improved two points in this period.Nevertheless, in relative terms, there is still strongpotential to increase female employment.The BasqueCountry has still not attained European levels.

The 2007 fiscal year closed at record levels with974,400 people in work.

As far as the last quarter is concerned, compared withthe previous quarter, the labor market made a clearimprovement in both employment and activepopulation. This factor provided a slight increase inunemployment (600 people). Over the last few years,both areas have tended to recover towards the end of theyear. Industry lost 1,900 jobs between October andDecember, while construction created another thousanddespite the fall in the real estate market.

Bizkaia, the province with the highest unemployment,created the most work in 2007. Employment in Álavaalso increased while it dropped in Gipuzkoa. Anotherpositive note in the Basque labor market last yearinvolved an increase in labor stability, finally meetingone of the unions’ long-running demands. The numberof workers on temporary contracts only totals23.12%, setting an unprecedented record for manyyears. The incentives provided for full time contractsafter the 2006 labor reform have influenced thisevolution.

In the last year, a net total of 2,500 jobs were created,according to the Working Population Survey (PRA) runby Eustat.

The vast majority of new jobs were created for women,namely, 2,000 out of 2,500 new jobs. 2,600 net jobswere created In Bizkaia and 900 in Álava, whilstGipuzkoa lost 1,000 jobs. By sector, the service sectorcreated the most jobs, providing 6,400 additional jobs,followed by construction with a net increase of 1,800jobs. On the 0other hand, 5,300 industry jobs and 400primary sector jobs were lost.


EMPLOYMENT RATE (AGE 15-64): EU-27 RANKING

DenmarkSwedenAustriaUnited KingdomThe NetherlandsGermanyPortugalFinlandFranceLuxembourgBelgiumGreeceIrelandItalyBasque CountrySpainEU 27CyprusSlovakiaSloveniaEstoniaHungaryLatviaLithuaniaMaltaPolandCzech Rep.RomaniaBulgaria

DenmarkSwedenThe NetherlandsUnited KingdomAustriaPortugalFinlandCyprusGermanyIrelandCzech Rep.RomaniaSloveniaLuxembourgEU 27FranceBelgiumEstoniaLithuaniaBasque CountryLatviaSlovakiaGreeceSpainHungaryPolandMaltaItalyBulgaria

DenmarkThe NetherlandsSwedenUnited KingdomAustriaCyprusFinlandIrelandEstoniaPortugalGermanySloveniaBasque CountryLatviaCzech Rep.SpainEU 27LuxembourgLithuaniaFranceBelgiumGreeceSlovakiaRomaniaBulgariaItalyHungaryMaltaPoland


On 4 June 2002, the Basque Cabinet ofMinis ters approved the BasqueEnvironmental Strategy for SustainableDevelopment (2002-2020) and the first

Environmental Framework Programme (2002-2006),giving this issue a long-term strategic view in synchwith the commitment made at the Earth Summit, heldin Rio de Janeiro in 1992, to prepare sustainabledevelopment strategies in each territory. The BasqueEnvironmental Strategy for Sustainable Developmentestablishes five environmental goals and five necessaryconditions promoted primarily by Basque publicadministration. These targets and conditions have beenset alongside the European Union Strategy forsustainable development and the Sixth EnvironmentAction Programme. By approving this Strategy, theBasque Country now has an integral environmentalpolicy, designed to work in synch with the EuropeanUnion’s environmental policy.

The Basque integral environmentalpolicy in synch with European policy

Garapen Iraunkorrerako EuskalIngurumen Estrategia onartuta,Euskadik lehendabiziko aldizingurumen politika integrala du.Estrategia Europar Batasunekoingurumen politika aintzat hartutadago diseinatuta.


5 ENVIRONMENTAL AIMS FOR THE BASQUE COUNTRY

GUARANTEEING CLEAN,HEALTHY AIR, WATER ANDSOILCurrently, only 15% of water isuntreated and 211 hectares ofcontaminated soil were recoveredbetween 1990 and 2003. TheGovernment committed to reducingtotal pollutants dumped into publiccanals and coastal areas by 50%,complying with air quality targetsset by the European Union,recovering 20% of polluted publicland and establishing food labelingfor human consumption, indicatingproduction methods.

1

PROTECTING NATURE ANDBIODIVERSITY:STRENGTHENING THISUNIQUE TREASURE54% of Basque territory is woodedforest land. 15% of the surface isprotected (Urdaibai and Txingudicoastal wetlands, seven naturereserves and five protected biotypes).The target is to increase this area to25-30% by creating environmentalcorrectors. Six of the BasqueCountry’s wetlands are included inthe List of Wetlands of InternationalImportance or Ramsar List. The aimincludes establishing managementplans for one hundred percent of thespecies classified as being in dangerof extinction and recovering aminimum of 15 kilometers of riverbank.

3MOBILITY AND TERRITORIAL BALANCE: A COMMONFOCUS

The aim is to reduce mobility needs, by discouraging activities and urbanuses that represent an increase in automobile use. The Governmentproposes to increase use of public transport by 10% over total passengertransport in key urban areas. This intends to reduce the use of roadtransportation by 2012, transferring demand to railroad, shipping andpublic transport.

4

LIMIT THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATIC CHANGEThis aims to meet targets for reducing greenhouse gases, in the Kyotoagreement, by 2012. The Basque Government has committed toincreasing the use of renewable energy by 2012 following EuropeanUnion objectives,namely meeting 4% of Basque energy demand in 2003.It will promote subsidized housing equipped to use solar energy and it hasalso become involved in installing photovoltaic solar energy panels inBasque schools.

5

RESPONSIBLE NATURAL RESOURCE AND WASTEMANAGEMENT

In 2003, 10.7 million kilograms of waste was produced. 97% of it was notdangerous and 3% was considered hazardous.Out of the total 5,196 kilogramsof waste produced annually per person,419 correspond exclusively to householdwaste (if municipal waste with institutional, industrial and commercial originsis considered, then this amount increases to 588 kilograms annually); 2,048kilograms come from the primary sector; 1,872 kilograms from industry; 732kilograms from the construction sector and 124 from the service sector. Onehundred percent of dangerous industrial waste has been managed since 1998.Selective collection of urban waste has increased by a factor of 16 between1990 and 2001.One out of every three kilograms of municipal waste is currentlycollected selectively (188 kilograms per person and year).The Governmentproposes to reduce urban waste being sent to landfill by up to 75% of the totalquantity generated.It hopes to change growing trends in water consumption perinhabitant and reduce water losses by 20% of the total consumption by 2012.

2


NECESSARY CONDITIONSTo continue down the straight and narrow, the Basque Public Administration considers that fiveconditions should be met: integrate the environmental variable within other policies; improve existinglegislation and its implementation; urge the market to act in favor of the environment; train and preparethe population, authorities and companies, and change their behavior towards greater sustainability;lastly, research, technological development and innovation in environmental issues.


In 1980, the Basque Country hardly invested ininnovation (R&D expenditure was 0.1% of GDP)and a decade later, we are witnessing spectaculargrowth (said ratio reached 1.2% in 1991).

Investment came to a standstill between 1991 and1997; from that day on, the growth rate picked up, tothe point where, R&D expenditure in 2006 hit 1.47%of GDP in the Basque Country. This figure, althoughhigher than in Spain (1.1%), clearly falls short ofthe EU-15 (1.9%) and the US (2.7%).

In 2006, a total of 908 millioneuros (1.47% of GDP) wasinvested in Scientific Researchand Technological Developmentactivities in the Basque Country.420 million euros (46%) of thisexpenditure corresponds toBizkaia, 363 to Gipuzkoa (40%)and 125 to Álava (14%).

The effort made by Gipuzkoa in2006 can be clearly seen by comparing R&D spendingas a percentage of GDP,which reached 1.79%,showingan eight hundred percent increase on the previous yearaccording to data provided by Eustat. As this indicatorstood at 1.34% in Bizkaia and 1.22% in Álava, allthree provinces exceeded the figure for Spain (1.20%),but fell short of the European average (1.84%).

Internal R&D spending increased 10% on the previousyear. Gipuzkoa exceeded this average with a 14%increase, whilst Álava and Bizkaia grew 9% and 8%,respectively.

As for the field of execution, each province presentsdifferent peculiarities. In Álava, we should highlightspending in the field of Public Administration, which is5.7% of Álava’s total expenditure, corresponding toseveral Government-dependant bodies and despite a

drop of 6.3% on 2005. The business and universitysector on the other hand, spent 10% more than theprevious year.

Regarding Bizkaia, it is worth mentioning that theGovernment’s expenditure in 2006 increased by 17%compared to 2005. It continues to be the province withthe greatest average university weighting (20.6% ofBizkaia’s total), mainly because the University of theBasque Country’s Science Faculties are all located onthe Leioa campus.

In Gipuzkoa, the area with the least relativeexpenditure continues to be the Government (0.9% ofGipuzkoa’s spending),while companies reap the benefitof its specific business fabric and the greater presenceof technology centers.The good university sector levelshould also be emphasized: with a high proportion oftechnology faculties, it has increased resources

intended for R&D by 20%.

The importance of financingcompanies themselves (61%), interms of private research resources,puts all the provinces above thestate average (47%) and on a levelwith countries like Germany, USA,Switzerland and Belgium.

Engineering and technologycontinue to require the highest

levels of spending and employ the largest number ofpeople in all the provinces. Nevertheless, theexpenditure percentage from each province fluctuatesbetween a maximum of 81% in Gipuzkoa, 74% inAlava and a minimum of 67% in Bizkaia.

Regarding female participation in R&D activities,32%of workers in Álava are women compared to 29% inGipuzkoa and 35% in Bizkaia.

Companies with less than 50 employees contributed31% of R&D spending in the business sector. Thispercentage rises to 41% in Álava, dropping to 28% inGipuzkoa while Bizkaia (31%) meets the BasqueCountry average.

In the 2002 Barcelona European Council Meeting, theR&D/GDP expenditure ratio target was set at 3% for

66% of Basque companies are innovative, versus 54.3%

in Europe2006an I+G gastua, BPGarenproportzioarekin alderatuta, % 1,47rairitsi zen. Inbertsioa 908 milioi eurokoaizan zen. Gastu horretatik, Bizkaiari 420milioi euro dagozkio (% 46), Gipuzkoari363 milioi euro (% 40), eta Arabari,berriz, 125 milioi euro (% 14).

31% of the business

sector’s R&D spending

comes from small

companies.



the year 2010. The Basque Countrytherefore has a long way to go to reachthat figure.The most positive point here isthe high level of effort and involvementfrom Basque companies in terms offinancing R&D, with 66% participationversus the European average of 54.3%.

However, we should not ignore theremarkable figures corresponding to thenumber of researchers. Only fourcountries have a higher ratio ofresearchers per million inhabitants. Up to1999, this figure fell short of the EU-25average. In 2004, the Basque Country had3,489 researchers per million inhabitants,compared to a European average of2,385. Nevertheless, the current highnumber of part-time researchers shouldbe highlighted.Within this indicator, it hasrisen from tenth position in 1995 to fifthin 2004.

The number of patents corresponding toBasque inventors at the EPO (EuropeanPatent Office) per million inhabitants grewconsiderably between 1990 and 2002 (last year forwhich there is relatively complete data from Eurostat-

Regions, the European Union Statistics Office), but thenumber continues to be three or four times lower thanthe EU-15 average or the US.

R&D / GDP EXPENDITURE: EVOLUTION

** The target set by the current legislature isin line with Europe

****** Barcelona European Council 2002


Basque C.

Spain

EU-27

2010 objective2006



The Basque Education System is fair, with a highpercentage of the populat ion aged 15performing at an intermediate level, accordingto the Program for International Student

Assessment (PISA) testing.

The PISA evaluation proposal is promoted by theOrganization for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD), an intergovernmentalorganization for industrial countries that acts as apromotional forum for member states’ social andeconomic development. Basque students haveparticipated in this evaluation alongside other OECD

countries and some non member countries. It is aprospective and comparative study to evaluate skillswhich started in 2000 in the subjects of mathematics,sciences and reading.

Students participating in PISA were aged 15, with 8-10 years left in the education system. In the BasqueCountry’s case, 76% of these students are on the pointof finishing their compulsory education.

The main objective of the evaluation is to try to find outabout training,preparation and skills attained by youngpeople to use their knowledge and meet the challengesof a global economy effectively. We can consider thatwhen students reach the age of 15, they should havedeveloped the basic characteristics required to tacklethe challenges of today’s society.

The PISA evaluation project offers a comparableinternational perspective and provides data on howbasic skills are developed in each education system.

The Basque Education System is performing well

Euskal Hezkuntza Sistema ekitatiboa da etaerrendimendu maila ertaina duten 15urteko gaztetxoen populazio-tasa altua du.Hala adierazi du Ikasleak EbaluatzekoNazioarteko Programak (PISA) egindakonazioarteko probak.



On the OECD average

The report positions Basque students as average in theOECD in the three areas of sciences, mathematics andreading, which are the subjects that have been takeninto account for this study. Furthermore, the resultsobtained in all three areas are balanced, meaning thatstudents do not perform better or worse in any of thethree subjects. On the other hand, the percentage ofBasque students who do not attain the lowestperformance levels is lower than OECD levels in allsubjects.

Taking into account that the Basque Country has onlyparticipated in two PISA editions, it might bepremature to point out clear trends in the results.Nevertheless, both evaluations provide valuableinformation which means that by working according tothe Basque Institute for Evaluation and Research inEducation we can cautiously draw some conclusions interms of progress made.

Looking at the overall results in each area, there is aremarkable increase in overall science marks, with

mathematics remaining steady and a drop, althoughinsignificant, in reading levels.

The difference between boys and girls has also beenreduced. This aspect has been evolving to givereasonably similar performances in science andmathematics, although this does not hold true forreading,where girls far out-perform boys.This occurs inall participating countries.

Regarding the language used in the test, it has beenconfirmed that boys and girls are not affected by usingBasque or Spanish as long as it is the language they useon a daily basis.

Half the world’s students

Taking into account the number of countriesparticipating in this project, the 2006 PISA results givean educational snapshot of slightly more than half theworld’s population within this 15 year age band.TheBasque Country has participated formally through theMinistry of Education and Science’s Institute ofEvaluation (IE) by means of an agreement with theorganization and the consortium of companies in chargeof its development.

The process of preparing material, translation, editing,application and initial data processing has been carriedout by the ISEI-IVEI (Basque Institute for EducationResearch and Evaluation), and the Basque GovernmentDepartment of Education, Universities andInvestigation in coordination with the consortium ofcompanies in charge of the management and with theIE, state coordinator for all the applications.

The report positions Basque students as

average in the OECD in the three areas

of sciences, mathematics and reading,

which are the subjects that have been

taken into account for this study.


The new Lifelong Learning Program that isbeing developed between 2007/2013, aims toprovide exchange, cooperation and mobilitybetween training and education systems in

par t icipating European countries, creating aworldwide quality reference.

In order to meet that objective in the BasqueCountry, a joint project was designed in 2004involving different agents to boost student, teacherand councilor mobility. To carry out said plan,vigorous work began on the Leonardo da Vinciprogram.

This program aims to meet learning and teaching needscorresponding to everyone involved in professionaleducation and training, as well as institutions thatprovide or give training.

In the case of the Basque Country, the project ismainly used by vocational training students who canthereby train in work centers in other EuropeanUnion countries. Internships in companies last 12 or13 weeks and in most cases they validate thepractical work experience unit that the student mustcomplete to obtain the qualification corresponding totheir professional profile.

Since 2007, professional training students haveaccessed this internship through two programs. Postsecondary students join the Leonardo program andhigher education and university students go throughthe Erasmus program.

The result of this joint project between differentagents and the Basque Government is that theBasque Country has become a point of reference interms of quantitat ive par t icipation in theseprograms, in terms of the number of young peopleinvolved and also qualitatively, due to the stablerelationships that most professional training centershave established with other European centers withsimilar characteristics.


Leonardo eta Erasmus programei esker,lanbide heziketako eta unibertsitateko milaikaslek baino gehiagok partekatzen dituzteikasketak eta ezagutzak Europar Batasunekohamazazpi herrialdetako zentroetan.

Leonardo/Erasmus, two education schemes within the European

Union

19


2000-2006 LEONARDO II. SOME COMPARATIVE DATA

NO. OF APPROVED PROJECTS IN THE BASQUEAUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY

NO. OF APPROVED RECIPIENTS IN THEBASQUE AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY

NO. OF PARTICIPATING COUNTRIESFinland

Sweden

Denmark

Lithuania

UK

Ireland

France

Italy

Portugal

Germany

Austria

Estonia

Greece

Malta

Bulgaria

Poland

Romania

20 nº81. alea 2008

konpon

Ayear ago, the Lehendakari , Juan JoséIbarretxe, announced that his governmentwould, for the first time, promote holdingmunicipal, university, youth and Basque

diaspora forums so that citizens could directly offertheir proposals and thoughts on building peace in ourcountry. Originally designed to include the voices ofthose who normally do not participate in thesedebates, this process had to deal with ETA calling offtheir ceasefire and a very complex political andsocial context. Nevertheless, Konpondu has succeededin getting 105 town halls to join the project in itsfirs t year of ac t ivi ty, attrac t ing hundreds ofparticipants to more than 50 municipal forums,university forums, youth forums and forums run in theBasque diaspora. In parallel, over 20,000 citizenopinions have been collected on the internet throughwww.konpondu.net.

As it relates to a complex subject and stirs up verydiverse political feelings, the Technical Boardpromoting the project asked the University ofColumbia’s Center for International Conflic tResolution to analyze the contributions received andwrite a progress report. This document is available invarious languages through the aforementioned website.

Common themes

Despite diverse opinions and proposals, the forumtranscripts reveal various common threads. The vastmajority of participants ask for the violence to stopimmediately and permanently, requesting that parties

s i t down to negotiate, expressing growingdissatisfaction with answers given by politicalleaders for these problems and expressing a cleardemand for greater courage and leadership to build amore plural and tolerant society respecting HumanRights.The majority of participants also demand newspaces for citizen dialogue and that more listeningforums be organized similar those proposed by thisproject.

According to the report, “the transcripts of themunicipal, university and youth forums, as well asthose held in the diaspora overwhelm the reader withthe feeling of both optimism and tragedy thatemanates from them. Optimism because the calls forpeace and normalization are alive, eloquent andsincere. And tragic because the participants arebegging for the violence and civic discussion ofdifferences to stop, but are conscious that there areforces that they cannot control and that prevent theirwishes from coming true”.

As they presented the repor t conclusions, theUniversity of Columbia spokespersons, WilliamWeisberg and Andrea Bartoli, pointed out thatdialogue initiatives on a large scale have taken placearound the world, but they had not found one thatused a methodology such as this, sponsored by aGovernment, in a similar context. Providing so manymunicipal, university, diaspora and youth forumsthrough internet to the population represents animportant commitment by the Basque Government toinvolve the greatest number of people possible toachieve peace. Other societies in conflict have rarelyattempted something similar. On the other hand,asking people for their advice now means that theBasque Government has to provide positive answersto citizens’ contributions.

Another relevant aspect of this initiative is itsauthentic local nature. The idea is not for people tomeet in cities or universities only to join anothergreat number of voices, but to connect at a locallevel. “Neighbors who had known each other for

Building peaceGORKA ESPIAU

Last November, the University of Columbia’sCenter for International Conflict Resolutionpresented the first report providingconclusions on the “Initiative for populationparticipation in building peace, Konpondu”.This article contains its main assessments andrecommendations for the future.

21nº81. alea 2008

du.net

generations without talking about the politicalsituation have been able to meet now as a group andestablish their own community of people committedto peace. There is a good chance that these localcontacts may continue to delve deeper and morespaces will be created for debate and action at acommunity level”.

Contribution to pluralism

The minutes from the forums show that there wereclear attempts to raise a wide range of politicalopinions among participants. The majority of theparticipants in the municipal forums are adults,since the organizers of youth forums expresseddifficulties to get young people to participate in thistype of organized social discourse.

This initiative had two main objectives: offer citizensthe opportunity to participate in building peace andfor their participation to contribute to the peaceprocess and policy normalization. Time will tell butin the opinion of the University of Columbia, “thisinitiative has done a lot to go deeper into the

mechanisms of ci t izen par t icipation and i tscontribution to a better society. The participants arecompletely aware that conversation is not enough toachieve great structural changes and that right nowonly a small group of people have had theoppor tunity to par ticipate in the forums, buteveryone would like to see some result so as tobelieve that their contribution has been useful. Atthe same t ime, par t icipants made severalsuggestions that can be applied to political life andcould become important contributions for thefuture. Specifically, this involves proposals to createa culture of tolerance and respect creating newsocial norms that participants and their neighborscan put into practice.”

What does seem to be clear is that manyparticipants took advantage of the opportunity givento express their opinions and suggestions openly andthat the majority of them were satisfied with theexperience. As one of the organizers said, “the mostgratifying aspect of the init iative was to seeskeptical faces as they entered the forums and themixture of relief and satisfaction they expressedupon leaving.”

Basque society demands peace and dialogue.

22 nº81. alea 2008BASQUE YOUTH

S

DIEGO ARDOHAIN

“I always wondered about theBasques, my roots had a great pullon me, so during my first trip toEurope I came to Euskadi to find outabout my ancestors’ homeland and Iended up meeting all the family wehave in Donibane Garazi.” This ishow a young Argentineanentrepreneur, Diego ArdohainMignaburu, sums up his love storywith Euskadi, which he conjured upfor himself as no one spoke Basqueat home. His grandparents andparents were born in Argentina and itwas his paternal great grandparentsand his maternal great-great-grandparents who were born inIparralde. Six years ago he decidedto take a Masters in Finances at theUniversity of Mondragón and sincethen, he has lived in Bergara,traveling back and forth.

“Before making the decision tocome and study in Euskadi,” hecomments with his slight Argentineanaccent, “I met Igor Basauri in theBuenos Aires Basque center and weforged a strong friendship. Igor isfrom Bergara and works for aBasque company. In January 2002,when life got tough in Argentina, Icame to Bergara to take a Mastersfor a year and a half and I waswelcomed with open arms: I was ableto take up a Basque Governmentgrant. My friend Igor, havingreturned to his village, introduced meto his friends and they make me feelvery welcome in their group.Afterwards I worked my way throughdifferent jobs and returned toArgentina at the start of 2003. I had

been working there fore ten monthswhen I decided to return to Euskadibecause I had set up a company tobring over Argentinean products.Through this company, I was given awork visa to work for myself which Ihave renewed for a second time. Ihave requested citizenship which Ihope to get in March. At the sametime I sell tooling machinery in acompany in Bergara and I am also apaddle monitor in Mondragón.”

He studied Euskara in aneuskaltegi, spent a summer in abarnetegi and he now manages tohold his own in personal dailyconversations.

The history of his paternalfamily’s emigration goes back 130years. “The traditional inheritancelaws of the time dictated that theeldest brother inherited the familyhomestead. In most families therewas usually a priest, a nun and the

others just had to look afterthemselves. My great-grandfatherJean Ardohain – born in DonibaneGarazi– met my great-grandmother,also from Iparralde, in Argentina. Onmy mother’s side, it was my great-great-grandparents who emigrated.”

Quality of life and equalopportunities are two of the aspectswhich appeal to Diego about Euskadi.“Everyone has the same chances,whichdoesn’t happen in my country nowwhere there is a widening gap betweensocial classes.”Trusting other peopleand feeling safe on the streets are otherfactors which swing the balance infavor of his decision to stay here.“Youalways miss your country,or really yourclosest friends and family. It’s good totravel because it helps you to see the bigpicture, but when you emigrate, youhave to split your mind in two creatingan internal conflict which is difficult toresolve.”

Gipuzkoako Bergara herrian beretxokoa topatu duela baieztatzendu, eta etxean bezala sentitzendela, nahiz eta bere maitasunikhurbilena Burzaco hiriguneandagoen, Buenos Aires handiakirentsi duen auzoan; izan ere,han jaio, hazi eta bizi izan zen,Enpresa Zientzietako lizentziaeskuratu zuen arte.

An Argentinean from Burzaco in Bergara

EEUUSSKKAALL GGAAZZTTEEAAKK MMUUNNDDUUAANN

nº81. alea 2008 23EUSKAL GAZTEAK MUNDUAN

FFirstly it was Uruguay, then BuenosAires, later Bolivia, Brazil ,Venezuela and once again BuenosAires. With just a few pesos and abackpack weighed down mainly byher camera and its telephoto lens,Eli Gorostegi went around gettingthe feel of each country until shedecided to return to Buenos Aires.What was going to be a short stayturned into months and years, andshe now lives there for most of theyear because “I had the chance tostudy, and take some photographycourses. I’d have liked to have goneto New York, but I don’t speakEnglish very well, and I also had tochoose a place I could afford tolive. But also I realized that BuenosAires is a city which has a lot tooffer culturally and loads oftheatre, cinema, art in general orthe circus, and what’s more, thepeople are charming.”ARGRA is the school where shecontinues to train as a professionalphotographer taking classes

organized by the Argentina PhotoJournalists Association. “You canalso choose other subjects and Ichose writ ing. I got in at anadvanced level by presenting someof my work. I’d already done twoyears, although they have not beenrecognized here.”

She says that what the schoolhas given her most is a “differentvision of photography. When Istarted there, I’d learnt practicallyeverything I knew in the street.Buenos Aires has given me thechance to do what I really love. Ihave even had a private teacher justfor me, to talk about art. That’sbeen a real luxury,” although shealready had a reasonable grasp onthis different vision she talks about,despite her youth. Her way oflooking and her artistic vision havebeen recognized by many of hercolleagues. She is continuing withher specific photographic projectsin the Argentinean city, trying tomake a name for herself and

publish her pictures, although sheknows that it is difficult to studyand work at the same time bearingin mind “how photographers work,with no fixed working hours andending up all over the place.”

Eli Gorostegi is already an oldhand at the Buenos Aires-Euskadiroute which leads to Hernani, whereshe was born and where her stillfamily lives. When Septembercomes around, she’ll go home towork as a photographer at the SanSebastian International FilmFestival, where she started out tenyears ago as an intern. After teneditions, it’s already become “atradition” for her which right nowshe doesn’t want to miss. “I havethe chance to work in a team, whichis nice, and I try and get some coolphotos. I like portraits best, but toget a good one, the subject has tobe involved, letting the camera inand playing my game. But theFestival limits the time you have forthis as you work round the clock.”

ELI GOROSTEGI

Beti izan du argiargazkigintzan aritu nahizuela. Gipuzkoako eskolabatean eta kalean bereganatuzituen oinarriak. Baina2004ko otsailean esperientziaberrien bila irten nahi izanzuen, eta Hegoamerikahautatu zuen horretarako.Gaur egun, Buenos Airesenbizi da, bere «atzaparretan»harrapatu zuen hirian.

«Buenos Aires is a city with a lot to offer»

BBAASSQQUUEE YYOOUUTTHH


EEUUSSKKAADDIITTIIKK

Under the slogan “Defending ourinstitutions”, the demonstrationheld on 26th January in Bilbaoprotested against the SupremeCourt ruling against Juan MariAtutxa, Gorka Knörr and KontxiBilbao for refusing to dissolve theparliamentary group SozialistaAbertzaleak. They are currentlyfacing fines and a ban on holdingoffice for the crime ofdisobedience.

PNV, EA and EB called thedemonstration and assured thatthis event was not linked to theforthcoming elections and nor wasit an attack on judicial powers, buta clear defense of democraticinstitutions. The demonstration,involving the Lehendakari andmembers of his government, leftfrom the plaza del SagradoCorazón and finished in Arenalwhere a manifesto was read by thejournalist Julio Ibarra.

More than 50,000 people,according to the estimation madeby the Municipal Police in theBizkaia capital, answered the call

from the Basque Government’sthree governing parties to not letthe recent sentence from theSupreme Court go unnoticed.“Gure erakundeen alde. Defendingour institutions” chanted thesimple slogan on the bannerleading the people’s march whichdenounced the real “strategy”against representativity of theBasque People.

This was reiterated by theparties calling the demonstration asthe event drew to a close. Accordingto the PNV, EA and EB, theSupreme Court’s resolution, farfrom representing an isolatedincident, is part of a measured planwhose latest turn of events involvedthe Basque Country Court of Appeal(TSJPV) rejecting the appeal tothrow out the case against theLehendakari Juan José Ibarretxe.This would explain the ultimateobjective of this legal offensive:smoothing the ground towards asentence against the Lehendakarifor exercising his right andresponsibility to talk to everyone.

The communicate, which wasread by the journalist Julio Ibarra,assured that, with this event “weare not trying to pressure judges oraffect their impartiality, but we donot want judicial favors or classifyour institutions as above the law.We are simply asking for justice.”

After qualifying the decision bythe Supreme Court as “one of themost serious that representativesof State power have taken part inagains t Basque society’sdemocratic will since democracywas established,” he explainedthat “it is particularly serious dueto the interference with Basqueinstitutions, withdrawing privilegesand revoking legal status, andparticularly affecting the BasqueParliament.” He described theparliament as body “whoseindependence, self-organizationand legitimacy has been sabotagedby interference from an outsidepower, contravening not jus tseparation of powers but itsdifferentiated marked characterwithin current judicial ordinance.”

The Lehendakari participated in thedemonstration defending Basque

institutions

nº81. alea 2008 25EUSKADITIK

CCUURRRREENNTT EEVVEENNTTSS

The San Sebastian composerAlberto Iglesias will return to theKodak theatre in Los Angeles forthe second time on 24th February,as he has been nominated again foran Oscar, on this occasion for thesoundtrack to “The Kite Runner”by the German Marc Forster.

In 2006, Iglesias obtained hisfirst Oscar nomination andrecognition for the soundtrack to the“The Constant Gardener”, althoughhe did not win on that occasion.Thisyear he will compete with Marianellifor “Atonement”, James NewtonHoward for “Michael Clayton”,Michael Giacchino for “Ratatouille”and Marco Beltrami for “3:10 toYuma”.This native of San Sebastianhas already been awarded theSatellite Award 2007 for “The KiteRunner” and nominated for theGolden Globe Awards.

Known throughout the world

for his work with Almodóvar on“Hable con el la”, “La malaeducación”, “Todo sobre mimadre”, “Carne trémula”, “Laflor de mi secreto” and “Volver”,he has worked for other directors,such as Steven Soderbergh, OliverStone, Bigas Luna, Carlos Saura,Imanol Uribe, Alfonso Ungría,Daniel Calparsoro or fellow nativeof San Sebastian Julio Medem.His films “Vacas”, “La ardillaroja”, “Tierra”, “Los amantes delcírculo polar” and “Lucía y elsexo” all bear Iglesias’s musicalseal.

With more than twenty years’experience composing for thecinema and numerous awards –seven Goyas for bes t originalmusic among them – whichendorse his great work, Iglesiashas often confessed that he doesnot enjoy the competitive part of

awards ceremonies which makeyou feel “bad if you don’t win andashamed if you do.”

The Oscar ceremony will be on24th February, if it is not affectedby the film and TV writers strikein the United States which hasbeen going on for more than twomonths.

The Basque composer Alberto Iglesias,nominated for an Oscar for the second time.

The city of Dallas and SouthernMethodist University, along withother cultural entities in the Stateof Texas, has created a foundationin the name of the Basque pianistJoaquín Achúcarro (Bilbao, 1932),whose good name has beenendorsed by worthy distinctionssuch as being named UniversalBasque, Honorary Son of Bilbao orFine Art academic.

Achúcarro has been a teacherat the aforementioned Universityfor several years. Through thisfoundation, the university willoffer master class concer ts,sponsoring grants for youngpianists and it will work on themusician’s legacy.

Since last January, thefoundation has been working to

cultivate and assure the legacy ofthis pianist from Bilbao. Achúcarrohas strong ties with Texas, where hehas held the Joel Estes Tate chairat Southern Methodist Universitysince 1989. Achúcarro’s

international artistic projectionand the importance of his teachingwork in the Texan centre have beenemphasized when setting up theentity.

The foundation is financed byindividual contributions and privatedonations or from other firms. Itsobjectives include supporting youngpianists’ careers, in addition toorganizing recitals and concerts.

The Joaquín AchúcarroFoundation was created in Dallas


EEUUSSKKAADDIITTIIKK

On 31 January, the BasqueInnovation Agency (BerrikuntzarenEuskal Agentzia) presented theInnobasque project to an audienceof two thousand people in thePalacio Euskalduna in Bilbao, andintroduced its governing body. TheAgency comprises around 400leaders from economic, social,university, scientific andtechnological fields. The event waspresided over by LehendakariIbarretxe, also accompanied bymembers of the Basque Science,Technology and InnovationCouncil. In addition to theLehendakari, we also heard fromthe Innobasque president, PedroLuis Uriarte, who explained thisprivate association’s proposals andlevers for transformation which itis going to use to make Euskadi aEuropean reference point in termsof innovation by 2030.

Innobasque is a private, nonprofit making association. It wasset up last July, with the task of“encouraging and boostingtechnological and non technologicalinnovation development in Euskadi,promoting entrepreneurial spirit

and creativity, with the aim ofincreasing competitiveness inBasque organizations and itseconomy, in the primary, secondaryand tertiary sectors and as aconsequence, improve current andfuture quality of life for all Basquesociety.”

Having come through thechallenging 1980s successfully,Innobasque wants to be thecentral pillar for what isconsidered to be the second greateconomic and socialtransformation for Euskadi, anunprecedented change in theglobal economy, which throws upnew challenges, in accordance withthe strategic presentation made bythe Lehendakari in the latestGeneral Policy debate in theBasque Parliament.

Innobasque currently has 405members from three majorcommunities: practically all theagents in the Basque Science,Technology, Innovation andAdvanced Services Network,private companies andorganizations interes ted ininnovation and Basque public

ins titutions and ins titutionalrepresentatives from the businessand occupational world.Therefore, Innobasque constitutesa network of relations betweenoffer, demand and facilitators,who share a common long termgoal: making the Basque Countrythe reference point for innovationin Europe.

In addition to establishing itselfas a European reference point, itspresident highlighted objectivessuch as creating a small, powerful,committed professional team andachieving total coordination withthe Basque Government, the LocalGovernments, SPRI and otherpublic institutions, for Innobasqueto be able to offer itself as astrategic ally.

Innobasque presents

itself as the keystone to

the second great Basque

transformation.

The Basque Innovation Agency, Innobasque,has more than 400 members

On her first institutional trip toChina, the Basque GovernmentMinister for Industry, Trade andTourism, Ana Agirre, met 40representatives from Basquecompanies working in this Asiancountry. There are currently 83Basque companies legally workingin China, of which 47 haveproduction plants, in sectors such astool machinery, automotiveindustry, electrical appliances oraeronautics, among others.

The Minister highlighted thatthe Basque Government has made aclear commitment to accompanyand support Basque companies asthey approach this Asian giant andset up work there;proof of this is theSPRI representation office inShanghai, which the Minister alsovisited.

This office has been workingsince 2003 and to date it hasdeveloped more than 100 projectsby Basque companies in China.SPRI-China supports all types ofcompanies taking their first steps inthe country, accompanying theirrepresentatives in all aspectsrelated to setting up, identifyinglocal companies, looking for HumanResources or assessing possiblelocations. Knowledge of the localmarket and the particularities ofthe country are aspects which mustbe taken very seriously in a countryas complex as China.

Furthermore, SPRI will housethe new EUSKARRI, BasqueBusiness Platform, which theBasque Government will set up inChina. Thanks to this platform,Basque companies who decide toapproach this market will have aphysical place where they can taketheir first steps towardscommercial or productive set up inthis country.

China is already the BasqueCountry’s eleventh most importantinternational customer, with anexport volume of 246 million euros

in 2006, when Euskadi was thesecond Autonomous Community inSpain, after Catalonia, in terms ofexporting to this country. In the2000-2006 period, Basque exportsto China grew 402%, whilst on thewhole Basque exports increased39% in the same period.

The Minister also visited theChina Europe InternationalBusiness School guided by the Vice-rector, Jianmao Wang.The Basque

Government, through SPRI and theprestigious business school,maintain contacts to set up aBasque chair on competitivenesswith the aim of creating andtransferring knowledge oncompetitiveness and promotingBasque business internationally.

The Minister and the delegationaccompanying her also visited theEuskal Etxea in Shangai, wherethey were received by the board.

nº81. alea 2008 27FOREIGN AFFAIRS

KANPO HARREMANAK

Ana Agirre met 40 representatives from Basque companies working in China

At an event presided over by the Minister, Mondragón CorporaciónCooperativa (MCC) officially inaugurated the Kunshan Industrial Park. AnaAgirre was accompanied by the president of the MCC General Council, JoseMª Aldekoa, the mayor of Kunshan, Ai Guo Guan and other dignitaries fromthis city of four million inhabitants.

When the three planned phases which have been completed in 2010, thePark, close to Shanghai and located in an area with a high industrial density,will occupy a surface area covering more than 500,000 m2 providing jobs formore than 3000 people, representing a total investment (land, development,buildings, equipment) of over 100 million euros.

In Kunshan park

Ana Agirre with a group of representatives from Basque companies working in China

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

28 nº81. alea 2008KANPO HARREMANAK

In January, the Minister for Justice,Employment and Social Security,Joseba Azkarraga, vis i ted theDominican Republic and Chile.

In the Dominican Republic, theMinister inaugurated the course for“Execution of Juvenile Sanctions inthe Basque Country and in theDominican Republic,” given by thePenal Execution director, XabierEtxebarria and the head of theJuvenile Justice Service, Patxi LópezCabello.

During his speech, JosebaAzkarraga highlighted theimpor tance of sharing theirexperience in this matter in order totackle juvenile correction properly.Centering on the Basque field,Azkarraga highlighted that the 411juvenile measures applied in 2001have risen to 1146 (170 involvingimprisonment) in 2007; there arecurrently 82 prison places comparedto 27 seven years. In this respect,Azkarraga demonstrated that hewas in favor of implanting efficientre-education measures, reservingimprisonment as a last resort (inEuskadi this represents 14.8% ofmeasures carried ou t). “Puresanction,” he assured, “is not onlyineffec t ive bu t alsocounterproductive. The key elementsof the system are quality, training,

commitment from educationpersonnel and detailed programmingfor all activities. This is how, heconcluded, we can prepare minorsfor school, work or social insertion.”

Azkarraga also met theRepublic’s General Attorney,Rhadamés Jiménez Peña, and hisfirst deputy, Rodolfo Espiñeira, tosign the 2008 Action Plan, withinthe Collaboration and InformationExchange Protocol which wassigned on 25th January 2005.

Modernizing Justice

Meanwhile in Chile, the Minister andthe recently named president of thiscountry’s Supreme Court, UrbanoMarín, signed a joint agreement tomodernize Jus t ice, so that theservice offered to citizens “should beprovided quickly, transparently andefficiently by public resources.”

After vis i t ing the SantiagoJus t ice Center, the Minis terhighlighted that, by signing thecollaboration protocol, “we aim tobenefit from each other’s experiencewhich is impor tant to achievetransparent and smooth runningJustice.” In this respect, Azkarragaexplained that in the next fewmonths, representatives from theChilean Supreme Court would come

to the Basque Country to find outabout the work done there.

After this meeting, the Minstermet the Minis ter for Work andSocial Planning, Osvaldo Andrade,to sign another joint agreement,centered on two fundamentalaspects: labor security and Lanbideemployment offices, “aimedpar ticularly,” emphasizedAzkarraga, “at creating good qualityemployment, above all, for the leastadvantaged communities, such asyoung people, women and long termunemployed.”

Minis ter Andrade alsoemphasized the “full employment”situation in Euskadi and the “sharedinterest on both sides” to continuereducing youth unemployment.

Andrade made the most of themeeting to refer to the decision bythe Basque Department of Justice,Employment and Social Security tofinancial ly suppor t work beingcarried out in the Villa GrimaldiPark Corporation for Peace torecover the historical memory ofpeople who were kil led or whodisappeared during Pinochet’sdictatorship. “The agreement wehave reached,” he said, “means a lotto me, because I am also a survivorof that centre.”

The Minister for Justice, Employment and Social Security signs agreements in the Dominican Republic and Chile.

The president of the Supreme Court of Chile, Urbano Marínand the Basque Government Minister for Justice,Employment and Social Security, Joseba Azkarraga.

Joseba Azkarraga,alongside

Radhames Jiménez,General Attorney of

the DominicanRepublic.

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After an extraordinary yearreaching the semifinals withArgentina in the World YouthVolleyball Championship inMexico, Nicolás Uriar te’ssports career was boosted bythe Newcomer’s Prize fromthe Argentinean newspaper“Clarín” which declared himthe “best play-maker in theworld.”

These awards, where thenewspaper recognizesspor tsmen and women’scareers, highlight the fact thatthis is “a stimulus, and at thesame time a commitment. It isa stimulus providing incentivesfor growth and a commitmentto continue working with thesame energy.”

“Clarín” also awardedfour special prizes includingone to Jon Uriarte, Nicolás’sfather, who made his debut asthe Argentinean Volleyball

trainer in the World League2006, with a second place ingroup B, based on sevenvictories against Portugal (4)and Finland (3). Now, he iswaiting to find out whether hewill be able to participate inthe Beijing Olympics in 2008.

In the Argentinean press,they emphasize that theNational Team “is looking to

recover i ts identity whils tundergoing a renewal process,continual ly led by i tsideologist: Jon Uriarte”.

Top players in the JuvenileTeam are also mentionedincluding Nicolás Uriar teagain, “Jon’s son, a 1.90 mplay-maker with the talent totake on the very best.”

nº81. alea 2008 BASQUE CENTERS

Jon and Nicolás Uriarte, awarded “Clarín” prizes for sport

More than 3000 unpublished photographs from the SpanishCivil War taken by Robert Capa have been discovered inMexico after remaining hidden for 68 years. The pictureswere in 127 rolls of film which, in 1940, fell into the handsof the Mexican General Francisco Aguilar González, whofought in the Mexican revolution under Pancho Villa.

Almost 70 years later, the filmmaker Trisha Ziff locatedthe photos through Aguilar González’s descendants. Some ofthese pictures were taken by Gerda Taro, Capa’s companion,and they show combat action and scenes from the Civil Warin Spain. Capa is considered the best wartime photographerin history who provided the most gripping portrait of theSpanish Civil War.

3000 unpublished photographs by Robert Capa discovered in Mexico

Jon Uriarte Nicolás Uriarte

Robert Capa

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30 nº81. alea 2008EUSKAL ETXEAK

Over the last 12 years assoloist in the Colón Theatre inBuenos Aires, with the securityof a devoted professional, theyoung Basque-Argentineanviolinist Xavier Inchausti hasbeen building a brilliant careerand is generally regarded as arising star. Born in BahíaBlanca, descendent of Basquesfrom Bizkaia and Navarra,2008 will bring manychallenges for Xavier, includingplaying with the KievPhilharmonic in the Ukraineand with the SymphonicOrchestra from the Universityof Taiwan. Among his projects,the young musician emphasizedhow excited he is to perform in

Euskal Herria, playing one ofhis favorite composers, PabloSarasate.

The young Argentineanviolinist is a rising star in hisnative country in thisdiscipline requiring manysacrifices. Little by little he isalso building an interestinginternational career. At 17years old, he was the firs t

Argentinean violinis t toperform al l of Paganini ’s“Veinticuatro caprichos”, avery difficult work, whichmade well-known violiniststhroughout the world prick uptheir ears.

One of them was the IsraeliMaestro Shlomo Mintz, whoselected him to take a MastersCourse in Israel last year alongwith 40 other young violinistsfrom all over the world: Japan,Korea, United States, Russia,Germany and Switzerland,among others. Mintz selectedfive of these students forpersonal tuition: among themthere was this young, humbleBasque-Argentinean.

The young violinist Xavier Inchausti will meet many challenges in 2008

The Uruguayan Basque InstitutionsFederation (FIVU) has scheduled theacademic year for Euskara courses in Basquecenters, working with José Francisco ‘Kinku’Zinkunegi, coordinator of HABE’s EuskaraMunduan programme, and they have alsorenewed joint agreements with HABE. Themeeting involved the Euskal Etxea in Salto,Saltoko Euskaldunen Taldea and three of thefederated Euskal Etxeak: Gure Etxea inRosario, Ibai Ondoko Etxea in Carmelo andHaize Hegoa in Montevideo. Zinkunegipresented the ‘Euskara Munduan 2008-2011’program, structured around distance learning,with minimum class time for the students.Themethod is also supported by intensive classeswhich students must attend in January and

July, lasting for two weeks and one weekrespectively. This will require four years ofcommitment and effort from students, who,once they have completed the course, will beable to teach Euskara in their respectiveEuskal Etxeak.

Zinkunegi estimated that the new teacherscould start their first classes in 2009. Thecourse will allow these Basque centers fromdifferent towns in Uruguay to train their ownBasque language teachers who will, in turn,be able to offer the possibility of learning orapproaching the ‘oldest living language inEurope’ in their zone of influence. On theother hand, and no less importantly, centerswhich already offer classes can expand theirprogram.

HABE and FIVU will train Euskara teachers in four euskal etxeak in Uruguay

nº81. alea 2008

Open the sardines up along their length, remove thebones. In a frying pan with a little oil, add thebreadcrumbs, pine nuts, parsley, nutmeg,chopped anchovies and pepper. Fry lightly. Fillthe sardines with this mixture. Season withsalt and pepper and lemon juice, sprinklewith oil and cook in a moderate oven foraround 15 minutes.

Cook the toast preferably using sliced bread.Rub the slices with garlic and tomatoes cut inhalf. Serve two sardines on each slice of toast.Sprinkle with parsley.

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Arantza Soraluce , Itziar Aguirre

Restaurante Zazpirak BatRosario (Argentina)

C O L L E C T I B L E

The Zazpirak Bat Restaurant in Rosario hasbeen awarded the 23rd InternationalTourism, Hostelry and Gastronomy Trophy as“a real pat on the back, recognition for somany years of effort and work. It hasn’t quitesunk in yet, but we are immensely pleasedand proud,” says Ainhoa Aguirre, one of thepartners, along with her mother ArantzaSoraluce and her sister Itziar, all “chefs” inthis establishment. The award was given tothem on 30 January in the Hotel Meliá Castillain Madrid. Their work is based on honesty, frankness intheir cooking and simplicity, taking cuisinepassed down to them by their ancestors astheir fundamental value. These dishesrepresent a tradition for them alongsidemany towns and villages who learnt to turntheir needs into an art.

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Fry the bream steaks in a frying panwith a little oil on the skin side, untilgolden. Put it in a dish with a little oiland a splash of wine and finish it off inthe oven.

Fry the finely chopped shallots lightly inlard, add the wine and reduce by half.Add the fish stock and cook

5 more minutes.Thicken with cornflour

if necessary. Season

Cook the chard in water Cut into

juliennes. Cover in flour and fry in oil.

In the center, put the chard and then

place the bream steak on top, skin side

up. Add sauce.

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Photo album

Juan Martín Igarzabal, born in Gabiria (Gipuzkoa) and MariaJosefa Garmendia, born in Itxaso (Gipuzkoa), with José Garmendia

and Petra Egiguren, both from Itxaso. Photo taken in Rosario,Argentina, in 1913.

Alicia Igarzabal de EchazuRosario, Argentina

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Documents

Euskadi, a competitive country · nº81. alea 2008 GAURKO GAIAK T he Basque economy has not simply caught up but has overtaken the current average figures for the 27 states in the