The Basque Government launches a new edition of Emaitek Industria Hobea with €62.1 million for the Basque technology centres
The programme strengthens the role of the Multi-focus Technology Centres of the Basque Network of Science, Technology and Innovation within the Basque Industry Plan 2030, and introduces a new results-oriented funding model.
The Basque Government has opened a new edition of Emaitek Industria Hobea, the support programme for the non-economic activity of the Multi-focus Technology Centres accredited within the Basque Network of Science, Technology and Innovation (RVCTI). The call, managed by SPRI, has a budget of €62.1 million and will be open for applications from the eleven Multi-focus Technology Centres from 3 July to 3 August 2026.
This new edition also prioritises technological development for Transformative Projects, within the "Better Industry" line of action of the Basque Industry Plan 2030.
A key instrument of the Basque Industry Plan 2030
The programme is part of the objectives of the Basque Industry Plan 2030, aimed at achieving a more competitive, advanced and sustainable industry under the ambition of "more industry, better industry and fewer emissions." Amid energy transition, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and increasing international competition, the Basque Government considers it a priority to strengthen the Basque Country's capacity to generate knowledge, develop strategic technologies and transfer these advances to the business sector.
Emaitek Industria Hobea is, in this sense, one of the main instruments supporting technology centres, reinforcing the capabilities that allow them to develop differential scientific-technological knowledge, generate their own technology and contribute to the competitiveness of Basque companies.
The Basque Minister for Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregi, has highlighted that the industrial challenges facing the Basque Country require strengthening its capacity to generate knowledge, develop strategic technologies and accelerate their transfer to companies. According to the minister, Emaitek Industria Hobea aims to strengthen the role of technology centres as key agents in advancing towards a more competitive, more advanced industry, better prepared to face the challenges of the coming decade.
A new results-oriented funding model
The main novelty of this edition is the introduction of a new scorecard that directs funding allocation based on the results obtained and the effective contribution of each centre to the Basque Country's industrial objectives. This assessment model weighs four criteria:
- Industrial impact (55%): the most heavily weighted element, with special attention to technology transfer to SMEs.
- Technological leadership (25%): scientific excellence and the capacity to generate differential knowledge.
- Technological specialisation (10%): the degree of focus on the strategic areas defined in the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Plan 2030.
- International positioning (10%): the centres' international profile and participation in European networks and programmes.
As an additional novelty,ment of Industry — the call highlights the focus on scaling up technology start-ups created from the advanced knowledge generated within the centres themselves, reinforcing the bridge between research and the creation of new knowledge-based companies.
Technology centres: driving knowledge and transfer
Multi-focus Technology Centres are well-established research infrastructures whose mission is to generate and develop their own technology, acquire new forward-looking knowledge, and transfer the results of their activity to the business sector. Through Emaitek Industria Hobea, the Basque Government supports the activities that allow these centres to develop differential scientific-technological capabilities, advance in strategic areas of knowledge, strengthen their technological specialisation and increase the industrial impact of their results.
These capabilities are one of the key assets of the Basque innovation ecosystem, and are essential for companies — especially SMEs — to access new technologies, accelerate their innovation processes and respond effectively to the industrial challenges of the coming years.
The Basque Network of Science, Technology and Innovation, established in 1997, has since played a key role in improving the competitiveness of Basque companies and generating economic and social wellbeing and wealth in the region. The Basque Government's sustained support over more than two decades has helped consolidate a scientific-technological infrastructure that works as a network, in a complementary and coordinated way, positioning the Basque Country among the leading innovative regions in the European Union.
BRTA and the role of technology centres
BRTA, the Basque Research & Technology Alliance, brings together 17 technology centres and cooperative research centres, with the support of the Basque Government, SPRI and the Provincial Councils of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa. Programmes such as Emaitek Industria Hobea are a key lever enabling Basque technology centres to continue generating excellent knowledge, transferring it to Basque industry, and projecting the Basque Country's scientific-technological capacity internationally.
Deadlines and further information
Applications can be submitted from 3 July to 3 August 2026. Full information on requirements, documentation and the application process is available on the SPRI website.
Related links:
- Funding programme page on SPRI: https://www.spri.eus/es/ayudas/emaitek-industria-hobea/
- Full news article on SPRI: https://www.spri.eus/es/blog/tecnologia-comunicacion/emaitek-industria-hobea-impulsa-las-capacidades-que-convierten-conocimiento-en-valor-para-la-industria/
- BRTA website: https://brta.euskadi.eus/es/inicio/