Imanol Pradales, the Basque ‘Lehendakari’, stressed the need to work closely with ‘strategic’ US institutions
The agenda of the representatives of different institutions has been marked by the desire for collaboration between Basque and North American companies, for the benefit of which different events have been held, not only business ones, where culture and history have been highlighted in the service of overcoming obstacles such as those that the Lehendakari warns of the Trump administration.
AERONAUTICAL AND AEROSPACE SECTOR
On 11 March, the Lehendakari met in Washington with Basque companies linked to the aerospace sector together with representatives of the Basque Trade & Investments (BTI) in order to strengthen the presence of the Basque Country in this strategic market by exchanging experiences and knowledge.
The Basque Country represents 15% of the Spanish turnover of the Spanish aerospace industry and 1% of the European turnover. Consequently, it is stressed that the future of the sector depends on maintaining its ‘strategic’ status for Basque companies that have been key for their contribution to the value chain. AVS (Added Value Solutions), CFAA (Aeronautics Advanced Manufacturing Center), IDOM, Ikerlan S. Coop., Korta, Metal Estalki, Ona Electroerosion, Satlantis, Sener Aeroespacial, Fundación Tekniker and Trimek – Innovalia Metrology are some of the companies highlighted in the sector.
In addition, it has been announced the creation of a new permanent delegation of Euskadi in the North American capital that aims to be an engine for weaving relationships between administrations and companies, the seventh in the world.
Pradales urged the Basque and US institutions to face the tariff threat hanging over the White House’s foreign policy by taking a long-term view and seeking alliances that add value: ‘In the historic moment we are living through, we have the determination and ambition to continue to take advantage of all the opportunities that the world offers us, including here in the United States. Our vision and commitment is long-term, generating international alliances and networks that bring us value. That allow us to continue to grow and prosper as a People’. He also highlighted the important figures that endorse the relevance of Basque exports in this market: ‘the second most exported product was turbojet and turboprop parts for aviation’ to conclude with an encouraging message: ‘Because the United States is much more than Trump and his administration’.
SALOMON R. GUGGENHEIM FUNDATION
Basque institutional leaders took part in a meeting with the Fifth Avenue Foundation, whose activities include promoting the understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art as well as its collection, research and conservation around the world and, above all, where its presence is evident, such as in Bilbao. The Lehendakari, together with Ibone Bengoetxea, the Basque Vice President and Councillor for Culture and Language Policy, emphasised the role that this institution has played and will play in accordance with the deployment of the Euskadi Global strategy, in which culture is a primordial element for Basque international projection and the resulting transatlantic agreements. ‘We must give continuity to this way of looking at the world, based on our deep roots in the Basque Country. We must delve deeper into what has brought us prosperity and well-being,’ concluded Pradales.
For its part, the Basque delegation, in addition to those mentioned above, included the Deputy General of Bizkaia Elixabete Elantxobe, the Secretary General for External Action Ander Caballero and the Delegate of Euskadi in the United States and Canada Unai Tellería, who were received by the foundation’s directors in their own facilities.
The event has served the shared cause of facing new social challenges, new trends in the art world and the replacement of the leading figures in the project, while at the same time it has been a testimony to the success of the project, recalling the commitment made by Basque society almost three decades ago when the Bilbao museum was set up in a context of uncertainty about the future of the Basque Country.
BASQUE-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
Afterwards, the agenda of the transferred delegation shared an affectionate evening at the oldest overseas Euskal Etxea in the world located in New York with its community in the diaspora. ‘We want you to be our antennae in the United States and help us identify the opportunities that arise,’ Lehendakari Pradales told them as he paid tribute to important figures of the community such as Valentin Agirre and Benita Orbe who supported the new arrivals as well as Lehendakari Agirre for his determination in the task of launching the Basque Government from the same New York city.
‘New York symbolises hope and opportunity, just as it has done for generations for the Basques who came here,’ the event’s attendees, second and third generation descendants as well as new migrants, heard.
IBM QUANTUM SYSTEM
To conclude the visit to the United States, the Lehendakari Pradales and the Provincial Councillor of Gipuzkoa, Eider Mendoza, shared their plans for quantum technology at the IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center in New York, which consolidates the Basque Country as a technological hub of reference in Europe. Together with Jay Watson, its vice-president, the technological IBM announces that as a result of the conversations and integrated in the BasQ programme, its most cutting-edge system ‘IBM Quantum System Two’ will be installed on the campus of the Ikerbasque foundation, which will enable applied tasks with positive implications both in the public sector of the future and in the industrial sector.
The implementation of the system is designed to be scalable and to execute algorithms on a utility scale, as it has an IBM Quantum Heron 156-cubit processor, the most cutting-edge and with which it will be possible to execute up to 5000 2-cubit gate operations. In this way, IBM reinforces its commitment to the expansion of the European and Basque quantum system in particular. The commitment is expected to result in the training of quantum talent, economic growth and the design of new algorithms in the Basque Country and other regions with which it will cooperate in this area with the aim of carrying out world-class research.