10 May 2016
Orkestra presented a ten-point Manifesto this afternoon, listing some of the major challenges which the Basque Country must tackle in order to continue increasing its competitiveness in a context of profound changes. This Manifesto identifies some of the lines of work that Orkestra will develop in the future and calls for the co-operation of all social agents in order to continue raising the degree of well-being and social cohesion in the Basque Country.
Orkestra’s Board of Directors was received this afternoon by the Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the foundation of the Basque Institute of Competitiveness, sponsored by Deusto University in 2006. During the meeting, Orkestra’s president, Ignacio María Echeberria, presented the Lehendakari with a Manifesto drawn up by the Institute to indicate what are, in its opinion, the most important challenges which the Basque Country must face in the coming years.
These challenges, as Orkestra’s directors explained, form part of “a new normality” and will affect the competitiveness of the Basque Country as a territory. And, although many of them stem from economic and social trends of a global nature, the possibility exists of addressing some of the factors that will impact upon the future development of the Basque Country.
The ultimate goal of the publication of this Manifesto is to establish the bases in order to co-ordinate a proactive response that will allow for continued strengthening of the competitiveness of the Basque Country as a unique space, competitive, open and connected to the world.
These challenges refer to ten different questions:
1. Well-being and social cohesion
2. Openness and internationalisation
3. Co-operation
4. Company resilience
5. Digital economy
6. Innovation in the public sector
7. Learning capacity
8. Energy model, environment and sustainability
9. A taxation and financial system for competitiveness
10. Demographic and social complexity
Orkestra's considerations highlight the opportunity to work in these areas with the shared objective of reinforcing the Basque Country’s capacity to compete so as to consolidate a social space of progress and coexistence, understanding competitiveness via an integrated vision that seeks well-being for the greatest number of people.
