Digital transition, data economy, and learning new skills are some of the challenges faced by the 313 companies associated with the Cluster of Knowledge and Technology Industries of Euskadi (GAIA). Key opportunities for growth and competitiveness in the sector include chips and semiconductors, new services and responses in cybersecurity, and quantum solutions and technologies.
These concerns and potentials were communicated to the Minister of Industry, Energy Transition, and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregui, during a meeting with representatives of the clusters that are part of the Industrial Situation Observatory (OCI).
“We highly value the meeting with Mikel Jauregui, which, in addition to being a first contact, has allowed us to explain the main challenges and opportunities we face from the GAIA Cluster. The meeting has been positive, especially because it has been clear that the ministry and clusters agree that we must be innovative, disruptive, creative, and brave to be an international reference in competencies and practices around the Digital and Green Transition.” These are the words of Tomás Iriondo, general director of GAIA, after the meeting held yesterday with the minister and the rest of the Basque clusters that are part of the OCI.
During the meeting, Iriondo explained the current challenges facing the cluster companies: digital transition, the need to adapt to the new data economy, creating supply chains in technologies, attracting technology investment funds, and primarily, reskilling and upskilling professionals. “We need new ways of training and educating people on knowledge, skills, and experiences. These new dynamics will facilitate the upskilling and reskilling of all professionals,” emphasizes Iriondo.
The general director of GAIA also detailed the current opportunities in the Basque technology and knowledge sector. These include: being competitive in the chips and semiconductors sector; creating structures and infrastructures around the data economy and Artificial Intelligence; developing new services and responses in cybersecurity; advancing in quantum solutions and technologies; and creating new training and development models for people.
“Addressing these opportunities and challenges will require public-private collaboration; joint and cross-sector projects to navigate the path of digital and green transition together, a broad and constantly evolving path that will allow us to strengthen a competitive and internationally recognized Euskadi for its competencies and good practices. Meetings like the one held yesterday are, without a doubt, very positive to face this path together,” concludes Tomás Iriondo.
The 313 companies associated with the GAIA Cluster bring together 25,000 professionals and make more than 1,300 new hires annually in Euskadi, a number that grows each year. Last year, these companies reached a total turnover of 6.56 billion euros.
via: MiMub in Spanish
