The Mayor of Plentzia, acting also in his capacity as Vice-President of the Uribe Kosta Commonwealth, presented the Uribe Kosta Strategic Plan 2026–2036 on 27 March. The event brought together representatives from various institutional spheres linked to business competitiveness and the maritime and fisheries sectors, alongside economic and social stakeholders from the comarca. The event was co-chaired by Aitor Garagarza, Vice-President of the Commonwealth; Cristina Múgica, Director-General of Territorial Competitiveness and External Promotion at the Foral Deputation of Bizkaia; Estitxu Garai, Vice-Rector of the University of the Basque Country’s Bizkaia Campus; and Ixone Soroa, Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Basque Government. The presentation was held at the Plentzia Marine Station (PiE-EHU).
The new model is geared towards strengthening territorial competitiveness, unlocking economic opportunities, and advancing towards more sustainable development. Four areas serve as its driving axes: the energy transition, the blue economy, digital transformation, and innovation in health and care. The event included a presentation of the initiatives to activate these axes, with particular focus on the Uribe Kosta Blue Lab — the comarca’s innovation, experimentation, and technology-transfer hub for the blue economy and marine bioeconomy.
Eder García, representing the Commonwealth in his role as Councillor for Local Development and Economic Promotion in Sopela, and Jokin Etxebarria, NAIDER’s Coordinator of Economy and Innovation, set out the details of the Strategic Plan. Manu Soto, Director of PiE, and Haizea Aguirre Puértolas, NAIDER’s Coordinator of Urban Regeneration, presented the strategic initiative around the Arpillao area and its potential as a blue bioeconomy hub linked to the Plentzia marine station.
The presentation of the Strategic Plan now opens the implementation phase: translating strategic priorities into projects capable of generating activity, attracting talent, and positioning Uribe Kosta as a reference territory in the defined fields.
