Euskadi 2040 showcased as a leading example at the first meeting of the Foresight Network of EU Cities and Regions

26 March 2026

EURADA Winter School

Image: OECD 2026 Winter School for Regional Development in Seville, EURADA

Representatives from across Europe gathered to exchange experiences on strategic foresight at a meeting led by the European Committee of the Regions
Ane Izulain presented Euskadi 2040, an initiative promoted by Orkestra and the Basque Government which explored how shared visioning processes can help identify long-term competitiveness challenges
This initiative shows that while many trends shaping the future are global, the capacity to respond effectively is fundamentally local

The Basque experience on shared visioning as an approach to regional strategic foresight was selected as the first case to be presented at the kick-off meeting of the new Foresight Network of EU Cities and Regions, an initiative led by the European Committee of the Regions to connect territories working on strategic foresight.

The meeting, held on March 12^th, brought together representatives from European regions and cities to exchange experiences on anticipatory governance. The Basque case was at the core of the session, with a presentation of the project Euskadi 2040 - Competitiveness for the wellbeing of the Basque Country 2040 by Ane Izulain, alongside Mikel Hidalgo, the Basque Government’s Social Innovation and Agenda 2030 Advisor.

This initiative, developed jointly by the Basque Government and Orkestra, explored how shared visioning processes can help identify long-term competitiveness challenges and guide collective action. It was based on a participatory and systemic approach that engaged institutions at multiple levels, businesses and civil society to build a common vision for the future of the territory.

The process generated a range of learnings that were gathered in the following Policy Brief, which may be relevant for other territories seeking to carry out similar regional foresight processes. A key takeaway from the document is that while many trends shaping the future are global, the capacity to respond effectively is fundamentally local.

ORKESTRA POLICY BRIEFS

Shared visioning as an approach to regional strategic foresight: The experience of Euskadi 2040

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The selection of Euskadi 2040 as the first experience to be showcased highlights its relevance as a European benchmark. In fact, the European Committee of the Regions has featured it on its website as a leading example of regional strategic foresight.

The project was also recently presented at the OECD 2026 Winter School for Regional Development in Seville, organised by the OECD Trento Centre for Local Development, EURADA and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. This three-day capacity building event aimed to equip regional development actors with the tools to navigate a world marked by rapid change and uncertainty. Ane Izulain shared Euskadi 2040 in a session about trends, strategic foresight and directionality in regional policy-making among other cases and practices in the OECD regions.

About Euskadi 2040

Euskadi 2040 is a research project that Orkestra carried out with the Basque President's Office and the Basque Government's Department of Economic Promotion, Sustainability and Environment to identify the competitiveness challenges of the Basque Country are and how they are changing, with the aim of building sustainable and inclusive wellbeing for the next generation.

The process, developed in four phases, led to a shared vision of Basque competitiveness in 2040 with various public bodies, the business sector, the third sector, young people and other agents.