SIXSeoul13 Day 1: City Talk Bilbao/Basque Case - Gorka Espiau

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City Talk. The Bilbao/Basque case Gorka Espiau Idoiaga. [email protected] Twitter: @GEspiau

Transcript of SIXSeoul13 Day 1: City Talk Bilbao/Basque Case - Gorka Espiau

Page 1: SIXSeoul13 Day 1: City Talk Bilbao/Basque Case - Gorka Espiau

City Talk. The Bilbao/Basque case

Gorka Espiau Idoiaga. [email protected] Twitter: @GEspiau

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Bilbao and the Basque land, at the heart of Europe

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Bilbao and the Basque Country was suffering only 40 years ago the consequences of a cruel dictatorship, a deep economic crisis, the highest unemployment figures in Europe and a violent conflict.

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The Basque Country is one of the EU leading territories according to the UN Human Development Index (GDP 31.000€per capita,+literacy 80% high education+ womens life expectancy 85,7).

Today, Bilbao is internationally recognized as a successful case of socio economic transformation.

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This transformation was possible due to a comprehensive strategy based on public/private partnership, endogenous reactivation of the economy and social innovation.

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80’s: TOUGH economic, social and political crisis.

high unemployment collapse of basic industries

obsolete infrastructures 80’s: triumph of the neo-liberal focus

in the world context: “the best industrial policies are the ones that

don’t exist”

30 YEARS FOR A RADICAL TRANSFORMATION

1980: beginning of Basque self-government

IN THIRTY YEARS EUSKADI HAS BECOME A NEW COUNTRY.

FROM A DECADENT AND OBSOLETE ECONOMY, IT'S TURNED INTO A POTENT,

VENTURESOME AND COMPETITIVE CENTER OF BUSINESS

•  GDP has grown during the last decade above that of

Spain and the EU •  75% of production is

exported (50% in medium/high technology products)

•  Unemployment has diminished drastically

•  First in Spain in terms of income per capita

•  Above the European average in terms of income

per capita (136 /100)

Tech Desert

DURING THE 80's, THE BASQUE ECONOMY

UNDERWENT A PROCESS OF INTEGRAL RESTRUCTURING

FOLLOWING RECESSION

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Keys to understand this transformation:

1st phase: 1980s “Learn to compete”.

2nd phase: 1990s “Learn to compete and cooperate” Public/Private partnerships.

3rd phase: 2000-2010 “Learn to innovate in cooperation” A new ecosystem for social innovation.

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Dominant ideas in the past

•  Economy of scale •  Centralised and unique

industrial and regional policies

•  The best industrial policy: the one that does not exist

•  Complete separation/confrontation State-Enterprise

•  Exclusive Picking winners •  “Viva el

MERCADO” (prominence to the market)

•  Tripartite competition: USA-Japan-Europe

•  Free rein to International Multilateral Organisations

What we believed in … and did

•  Interdependence, small is

beautiful, posible and essential •  De-concentration of regionalised

microeconomic policies •  “Comprehensive” strategy for

competitiveness in solidarity •  Public-private and public-public

partnerships •  All industry matters •  Transformed public leadership,

with committed participation of social entrepreneurs

•  Multiple competition / New players •  Guiding principle: each country is

unique. Its own and differentiated strategy

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Gorka Espiau Idoiaga. Agirre Lehendakaria Center [email protected] Twitter: @GEspiau

Kamsahamnida Eskerrik asko Thank you

Then, we decided to build the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum.