– What are the main technological challenges of the sector?
The Basque Country positioned itself as the unskilled and cheap workforce of European industry 25 years ago until different changes began to take place, such as the qualification of production, investment in improvement and different indicators that were marking a clear path towards which is now the Basque Industry. The Basque industry was gradually demanding more investment because it brought more quality and the Basque Country became a clear engine of innovation while some processes moved outside of Spain and Europe. The Industrial sector faces many changes with challenges. Innovation is no longer an option, it is a way to progress and a business strategy for every company that wants to develop.
In many cases, innovation is a problem and not the only way to success, a decision that caused the success or failure of many companies in the sector. Today we have the ability to make systems that allow us to move into the future, so I do not think it is a problem of resources, it seems more a problem of attitude or motivation. In metrology, for example, a commitment to incorporate the latest technologies is necessary to be able to add value to the production process, otherwise these companies would have disappeared. Innovalia Metrology is committed to providing online measurement solutions and decision support based on advanced quality control parameters.
– What aspects do you think limit the R+D actions of Basque companies?
The change of the Basque Industry was due to its own survival. It was in a natural and progressive way that led us to produce in a more optimized way and to give value to the know-how of each company. Today, the industry is more affluent and, in many cases, the response of companies to innovation proposals is “I’m fine”. In addition, most are small companies that cannot invest in R+D. Although not all companies have the same capacity, there are R+D options for small companies that allow them to activate innovative solutions. For example, Innovalia metrology carries out quality control experiments with SMEs in our “zero-defects” manufacturing laboratory located in the AIC, considered as Digital Innovation Hub by the European Commission. This allows to elaborate certain protocols of application of technology and to establish methods of innovation in different points of the industrial production. Thanks to our laboratory, other SMEs can benefit from technology, experience and innovative solutions that have already worked in other companies.