Innovation is the future. That at least is the assumption on which the new Basque strategy for countering the present crisis is based on. Also designed to strengthen the region's economy, the strategy has now had its dates and budget figures confirmed. The Basque Country is looking to become a European benchmark in R&D and innovation by 2030, for which it is going to have to invest around 85,000 million euros.

This highly ambitious target is based on a far-reaching strategy with several major focus points, one of which was confirmed with the signing of an agreement between the Alava Provincial Council and Basque innovation agency Innobasque designed to formalize cooperation and a commitment to make the province into one of the region's strongholds of research. The document itself was signed by Alava Provincial Council chief executive Xabier Aguirre and innovation agency chairman Pedro Luis Uriarte.

Alava's cooperation on the implementation of measures designed to promote and consolidate innovation will be essential in the bid to ensure the region eventually achieves its target of becoming a benchmark for Europe. After the signing, the chairman of Innobasque, an agency set up to ensure the Basque Country becomes outstanding in innovation, explained that the project involved an alliance between the public and the private sectors, the current share being 30 per cent and 70 per cent respectively. The final objective, which also includes regional society as a whole, would involve a huge investment effort totalling 85,000 million euros.

Immediate plans for the agency include creating in 2009 an association of more than "one thousand Basque leaders" from all walks of life, whether institutional, economic, social, academic, scientific or technological.

Major agreements had also been drafted with 150 public and private organizations, added to the 40 covenants already signed. Management at Innobasque reckon that some 5,000 Basques would "take the step towards innovation" through 32 lines of action, 100 programmes and 250 projects promoted by the agency.

The agreement between Innobasque and Alava Provincial Council came only hours after the Alava Chamber of Commerce had hosted the 1st Alava Innovation Forum as a contribution to the drive to improve competitiveness at local SME by getting them to take the innovation culture on board in their business strategies.