Mikel Jauregi, Basque Minister for Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, visits Ceit

During his visit to Ceit’s headquarters in Ibaeta, the minister highlighted the strategic value of research and technological development to enhance the competitiveness of Basque industry.

Mikel Jauregi, Minister for Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability of the Basque Government, visited the Ceit technology center in Ibaeta, where he toured the facilities and learned about the center’s scientific and technological capabilities. He was welcomed by Ignacio Martín, Ceit's Corporate President; Eduardo Ayesa, Executive President; and Juan Meléndez, General Director, as well as Paloma Grau, Vice-Rector for Research and Sustainability at the University of Navarra. Jaione Ganzarain, Deputy Minister for Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, also joined the visit.

Together, they toured the various facilities of Ceit, which is part of BRTA – the Basque Research & Technology Alliance, a network of 17 technology and cooperative research centers supported by the Basque Government.

Excellence in technology development, talent generation, and EU funding to support Basque industry

A hallmark of Ceit is its unwavering commitment to excellence in technological innovation. This goal is realized through the development of doctoral theses (currently 58 underway), the publication of around 60 indexed scientific articles each year, and participation in over 100 international conferences annually.

Ceit employs over 280 professionals of 12 different nationalities and welcomes around 60 students each year to carry out internships, bachelor’s theses, and master’s theses. Over its 43-year history, the center has trained more than 500 PhDs and around 400 graduates who have gone on to join companies, mainly within the surrounding industrial ecosystem.

On the European stage, Ceit has secured approximately €65 million through competitive projects within EU framework programs to support technology development. Minister Mikel Jauregi emphasized Ceit’s important contribution to the Basque industrial ecosystem: “With more than 100 European projects completed, Ceit is a benchmark in transferring technology, knowledge, and talent to industry. Ceit plays a key role in flagship programs such as Europe’s Rail—the main research and innovation initiative for the European rail sector—alongside industrial leaders like CAF, Talgo, and Indra.”

Jauregi further reflected: “At a time of global uncertainty, it’s clear that our long-term commitment from Euskadi is to more industry and more Europe. We recognize that industry brings progress, wealth, and high-quality employment. In a world that is gradually turning inward, the Basque Country can play a leading role in the reindustrialization of the European Union. We are more aware than ever of the need to produce locally. To achieve this, we must be more innovative, more technological, and more competitive.”

“That’s why it is essential that Euskadi continues to be fertile ground for the industries of the future, thanks to our excellence in research and technological development. In this context, our technology centers—and Ceit in particular—are key players in enabling our industry to evolve toward higher added-value and more innovative products in strategic sectors such as transport, circular economy, digitalization, and advanced manufacturing. Technology development and innovation only make sense when we are able to transfer them to industry and turn them into real solutions for major future challenges like the digital and energy transitions. That’s why our vision is for more industry, better industry, and fewer emissions,” Jauregi concluded.