Basque Government
The Basque Government is the governing body of the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. The head of this government is the Lehendakari or Basque president that is appointed by the Basque Parliament every four years. Its headquarters are located in the Lakua district of Vitoria-Gasteiz in Álava.
The Basque Government has played a leading role in the development of cluster policies, having pioneered the adoption of a dedicated cluster policy in the mid-1990s. Today there are 20 cluster and pre-cluster associations in the Basque Country, in total accounting for over 141.000 employees and a turnover of more than €42,946 million. They play an important role in improving the competitiveness of Basque companies through fostering cooperation, focusing mainly on the competitive strategic challenges that cannot be addressed by individual actions carried out by the companies alone.
Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness
Set up in 2006, the aim of Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness of the Deusto Foundation (Orkestra) is to lend support to the activity carried out by public administration, socio-economic agents and all universities in the Basque Country in areas related to competitiveness.
Orkestra was set up in order to identify the real paths to competitiveness and wellbeing required by the changing and innovative society that is the Basque Country through orientating and accelerating the development of public policies and private business agendas through the synergy-driven development of three essential functions: insight, interaction and instruction. With offices on the University of Deusto's Donostia and Bilbao Campus, the institute has an extensive network of collaborators, with major roles being played by the Basque Government (through its regional development agency, SPRI), the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, Euskaltel, Kutxa and Repsol-Petronor. Additionally, the Institute has the support of Boston Consulting Group, the Ente Vasco de Energía (EVE) (Basque Energy Agency), Gamesa and Iberdrola, for its Energy Department.
