• The Council chooses 14 projects to build a future with the organized society of Gipuzkoa

• 71 projects are presented as part of the Etorkizuna Eraikiz programme to call for grants for innovative projects that respond to tomorrow's challenges

The Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa has selected 14 innovative projects to respond to the challenges of the future of the territory. Within the Etorkizuna Eraikiz program, an initiative based on innovation and collaboration with organized society, the foral institution has allocated 600,000 euros to develop pilot experiences in areas such as care for older people, inclusion of immigrants or reconciliation. A total of 71 projects have been submitted to the call and the deputy general, Markel Olano, has highlighted the qualitative value of the following projects beyond the quantitative value: “Our goal as an organization is to respond to the challenges of tomorrow, and these 14 projects that we have just selected also seek the transformation of Gipuzkoa through active experimentation.”

Olano has appeared today before the media to publicize the grants granted. Sebas Zurutuza, Managing Director of the Management Strategy, and representatives of the agents involved after the two selected projects, Elhuyar and LKS, were at his side. Building the future is divided into two large areas of work. On the one hand, GipuzkoLab, which will launch pilot experiences of an economic, social and cultural nature. Once these trials have been evaluated, the conclusions will be integrated into the real policy and the subsidies presented today are located here. The second pillar takes the name of Gipuzkoa Taldea, which will involve the organized society in the project. This body of governance and reflection is composed of 60 representatives from different fields that aim to develop the Strategic Plan Gipuzkoa 2026.

In recent months the Provincial Council has made the contrast of the program Etorkizuna Eraikiz with the organized society of the territory, transferring the content of the project directly to more than 1,000 citizens: universities, development agencies, private agents, associations… Olano has explained that now it is time to take a “qualitative leap”, performing exercises of practical experimentation. In addition, it has advanced that the process of reflection being carried out in the Gipuzkoa Group will culminate its first phase in the coming weeks, identifying the projects that will be addressed next year.

The Deputy General highlighted the good reception that the call has had by highlighting the presentation of 71 projects, both inside and outside Gipuzkoa. “Building the Gipuzkoa of the future is the way we have to go with an organized and citizen society, and its participation and involvement is fundamental. We have to agree Gipuzkoa for tomorrow,” he said. The projects have been presented by all the regions of the territory, being the socio-health, strategic reflection, governance and the environment the most initiatives have received.

Olano wants to move from diplomatic relations to real cooperation through the Building the Future project. “We want to add to the effective people who are in the main agents organized in Gipuzkoa and who are really making weight decisions on a daily basis,” he explained. “Everyone’s contributions are necessary and with this new and innovative tool we want to channel the construction of the future of Gipuzkoa,” he said. In this sense, he pointed out that the projects presented today are intended to affect this direction especially.

Social services and economy

Among the projects selected are initiatives of innovation in the field of social policy, such as those aimed at improving the care of patients and/or dependents. For example, one of the innovative initiatives is to work on training in rehabilitation processes and adapted activities, the development of a model of assistance focused on management, working coordination and integration between health and social services. Two other initiatives will focus on creating a network of expert volunteers to strengthen intergenerational cooperation and promote the inclusion of futures.

In the field of economic innovation, the promotion of the circular economy, the promotion of entrepreneurship and youth curiosity in the scientific-technological field, the definition of proposals to promote and promote technological policies taking into account advanced references, the analysis of the cultural change of researchers and projects to create the social ecosystem in the region of Goierri. Also noteworthy is the project aimed at opening ways to promote equal reconciliation.

In the field of governance, a tool will be developed to highlight the social impact in the calls for grants and a new initiative to promote the new way of doing in the field of urbanism. Finally, two other projects will address the diagnosis and proposals for intervention of the audiovisual sector of the territory and the creation of a new model of fast food Basque.

See list of selected projects

BIZILABE Youth Research Network

Aware of the implications that research and the autonomous exercise of children on scientific and technological issues can have in their capacities, in their possibilities for the future and in the future competitiveness of the region in which they live, Elhuyar has been working since 2014 on the implementation of the network of research centers for young people Bizilabe, and in 2017 aims to start the first two pilot centers.

It is a research centre for young people aged 10 to 19. Young people, in an independent and interdisciplinary environment, will have the opportunity to carry out their projects, encouraging their creativity, regardless of the pressure of the classroom, in after-school hours and beyond the school curriculum. Young people will be helped to carry out projects and experiments autonomously. The aim is to involve professionals from companies in the near environment as mentors of young people, seeking that the projects of young people are carried out in relation to the local challenges and/or the activity of the companies of the environment. To guide young people, we will train the center's monitors and mentors in the Bizilabe-Elhuyar methodology, developed specifically for the project by a group of experts, to learn how to help young people in research projects from a gender and inclusive perspective.