16 July 2026
Vision and challenges of Euskadi 2040
- The initiative jointly developed by Orkestra and the Basque Government to build a shared long-term vision for the competitiveness and wellbeing of the Basque Country has been recognised as one of three case studies in a new scientific paper published in Technology in Society
- According to the authors, the Basque experience stands out for combining a place-based approach, extensive stakeholder participation and continuous reflection and monitoring to guide long-term decision-making
A new scientific paper published in Technology in Society has recognised Euskadi 2040 as one of three European case studies illustrating how strategic foresight can help regions prepare for long-term societal challenges. Developed jointly by Orkestra and the Basque Government, Euskadi 2040 set out to build a shared long-term vision for the competitiveness and wellbeing of the Basque Country.
Co-authored by researchers from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), the University of Edinburgh, and Kiel and Saarland universities, the paper analyses three regional foresight initiatives from the Basque Country, Finland and Scotland to explore how territories can strengthen their capacity to anticipate change and build resilience in the face of complex societal challenges.
The paper highlights Euskadi 2040 as an example of how strategic foresight can become an integral part of the entire policy cycle rather than being limited to the initial stages of strategy development. According to the authors, the Basque experience stands out for combining a place-based approach, extensive stakeholder participation and continuous reflection and monitoring to guide long-term decision-making.
Among the three cases analysed, the study identifies the Basque experience as the one showing the strongest transformational intent, reflecting its ambition to rethink regional development through a multidimensional vision that balances economic competitiveness, social cohesion and environmental sustainability.
The research also underlines the value of the action research approach developed jointly by Orkestra and the Basque Government. By combining scientific research with policy practice throughout the process, Euskadi 2040 helped build a shared understanding of the territory's future challenges fostering collaboration across institutions, businesses, civil society and younger generations.
This latest scientific publication adds to a series of recent international recognitions of Euskadi 2040. Earlier this year, the initiative was selected as the first case presented at the launch of the Foresight Network of EU Cities and Regions, led by the European Committee of the Regions, and was also showcased at the OECD-EURADA Winter School for Regional Development.
From regional practice to scientific knowledge
Over the past few years, Orkestra researchers have documented both the methodology and the lessons learned in Euskadi 2040 through a range of publications aimed at supporting other regions interested in developing long-term, participatory foresight processes:
- A comprehensive report on the Euskadi 2040 process: Competitiveness for the wellbeing of Euskadi 2040
- A report that brings together six international best practices in the integration of foresight in governments: Futures studies in governments: international models and their potential in the Basque Country
- The Policy Brief Shared visioning as an approach to regional strategic foresight: The experience of Euskadi 2040
- The scientific article Place-leadership and power in the futures domain: the case of Euskadi 2040, published in European Planning Studies.
The initiative also served as the case study for Ane Izulain's doctoral dissertation, The role of social values in shaping a shared vision on competitiveness for wellbeing. Her research explored how social values influence the construction of shared long-term visions and demonstrated that aligning values across society is a key condition for developing transformative regional strategies. Drawing on the Euskadi 2040 experience, the dissertation provides a conceptual framework that can help other territories design more inclusive and effective visioning processes.
Together, these publications demonstrate how Euskadi 2040 has evolved beyond a regional foresight exercise to become a source of scientific knowledge, contributing to international debates on strategic foresight, regional competitiveness and place-based transformation.
