13 April 2026
The event will take place in the auditorium of the BAT B Accelerator Tower.
- On the 15th and 16th of April, experts from the OECD, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations will gather in Bilbao for a conference organised by Orkestra with the support of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
- The event will showcase Bizkaia as a leading example in the design of regional policies related to talent and the sustainable transition.
- The conference features an innovative format designed to move "from analysis to action" by bringing together researchers and policymakers from different countries.
On the 15th and 16th of April, Bizkaia will host the second edition of the international conference, From Analysis to Action: Harnessing Local Policies to Boost Productivity, which will bring together experts from around the world to discuss how local public policies can boost productivity, competitiveness, and wellbeing.
The event has been organised by Orkestra, in collaboration with the OECD’s Trento Centre for Local Development, The Productivity Institute, and ECLAC (the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), with the support of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
The conference is based on the clear premise that competitiveness policies increasingly require a territorial approach tailored to the specific characteristics of each region, such as its capabilities, infrastructure, and innovation ecosystems.
Topics to be discussed at the event include the importance of knowledge flows for industrial transformation, skills and employment in the AI era, the relationship between sustainability and productivity, and strategies for achieving balanced regional development.
A conference designed to move from analysis to action
The conference features an innovative format designed to move "from analysis to action" by bringing together researchers and policymakers from different countries. Through various types of presentations, each session will analyse a real-world problem, provide scientific insights, and showcase policies that are already in place. The aim is for regions to share experiences that can inspire the development of local policies.
Orkestra will play a central role at the event. Its chairman, Iván Martén, and managing director, James Wilson, will share examples of how the Basque Country is addressing key challenges such as industrial transformation, talent and sustainability by fostering collaboration between institutions, businesses and knowledge centres. Senior researcher Edurne Magro will also participate in a session to present Orkestra’s work on territorial balance and its importance in the design of long-term public policies. She will highlight the success of the Bizkaia Orekan Sakonduz initiative.
Bizkaia, a benchmark for innovative policies
A key moment of the event will be the session on Thursday 16th April. It will begin with an opening address from Ainara Basurko, Deputy for Economic Developmnet at the Government of Bizkaia. She will present the region’s long-term investment strategy, which aims to promote sustainable competitiveness, innovation, talent attraction and social cohesion.
The opening will be followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Mari Jose Aranguren (Vice-Chancellor of the University of Deusto), which will bring together representatives from international organisations, including Karen Maguire (OECD), Christian Ketels (World Bank), Marco Dini (ECLAC) and Stefan Appel (European Commission). The debate will address the prioritisation of strategic investments in an era of global uncertainty, emphasising the importance of public-private collaboration.
Various sessions will also feature prominent representatives and stakeholders from Bizkaia, showcasing the region's experience as a laboratory for public policy. Cristina Múgica, Director of Territorial Competitiveness and Tourism at the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, will participate in the opening remarksn. Amaia Jugo, Managing Director of Bizkaia Talent, will present some of the organisation’s talent-related initiatives. Estibaliz Goñi, Director of Processes and Technology at Iberdrola, will also be present to provide a business perspective on how technological transformation is redefining skill requirements from the standpoint of a leading company in the energy transition.
