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Alava for you 2 3 Presentation 05 Introduction 07 Alava to invest in Location 08 Connectivity 10 Productive setting 18 R&D and Technology Network 26 RIS3 28 Our companies 30 Our working population 31 ALAVA FOR YOU • to invest in • to discover • to live in Generating of talent 32 Discover Alava Our Province 34 Our gastronomy 45 Our heritage 46 Living in Alava Our social model 48 Our urban model 49 Our cultural environment 50 Our sports environment 51 4 5 Allow me, as President of the Provincial Council for Alava, to invite you to read through the publication you have in your hand which will open your eyes to a new discovery. I am sure you will be pleasantly sur- prised. The Province of Alava is the biggest in area and the least populated of the provinces in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. Perhaps due to this, or for the retiring nature of its inhabitants, it is the least well known. Its strategic location has placed it at the crossroads of trade routes since time imme- morial. Currently, it is the major logistic hub in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Alava’s economy is very industrialized. It is capable of competing in a global market, thus placing it far above the European average for various economic in- dicators, as you will be able to see in this document. These results are the fruits of the effort, day in day out, of thousands of the hard-working and qualified people who work in our companies; rigorous people, highly skilled thanks to an excel- lent education system, both for vocational training and university education, capable of meeting the challenges of today’s companies. This high level of wealth allows our citizens to enjoy internationally recognized levels of environ- mental protection, of quality of life, and of social welfare. In Alava, the proximity and the quality of both the health and the social services, and the network of social-cultural and sports installa- tions stand out. These and other factors enable Alava to be feature among the highest figures in the world in the human development indexes (HDI). I hope that this publication will contribute to making our province better known. I am convinced it will be simple way to find out more about our strengths. We have great potential both from an economic and an environmental point of view, not forgetting our historical heritage and our wine and culinary traditions, as well as our social and urban model. In short, Alava is a great place in which to invest, to enjoy and to live. It is a region which, as Pres- ident of the Provincial Council, I would like you to visit and then judge first-hand the possibilities and opportunities which it offers. I invite you to do so and to join the hundreds of companies with foreign capital who have already done so and which are now enjoying their stay in this province. We will be waiting. Ramiro González Vicente President of the Provincial Council for Alava 6 Cantabrian Sea 7 BIARRITZ SANTANDER BASQUE COUNTRY DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN BILBAO FRANCE BIZKAIA GIPUZKOA VITORIA-GASTEIZ ARABA/ÁLAVA PAMPLONA LOGROÑO BURGOS BASQUE COUNTRY ALAVA FOR YOU A COMMUNITY WITH SELF-GOVERNMENT Alava has a surface area of 3,037 km2 and a popula- intelligent specialization, the generation of talent and tion of 325,000 inhabitants, 250,000 of whom reside promotion of entrepreneurship. The Autonomous Community of the Basque Country is made up in the capital, Vitoria-Gasteiz. of the Historic Territories of Araba/Alava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa. This economic development has evolved in a balanced Their respective capitals are: Vitoria-Gasteiz –also the administra- It is considered to be one of the most attractive places way with a well thought out environmental manage- tive capital of the Basque Country– Bilbao and Donostia-San Se- in the southwest of Europe in which to invest. A highly ment –over half the province is classified as protected bastián. industrialized province with an open economy capable areas–. Alava has a privileged natural habitat which Bilbao The Basque Country has its own tax system, with the capacity to of competing in a global world. houses the largest diversity of climates, habitats, and regulate taxes and the autonomy to manage and levy taxes. The Since the middle of the 20th Century Alava has pro- animal and plant species in the Basque Country. A Basque public administration has authority over Health, Education gressed enormously, reaching a spectacular level of province in which the landscape, valuable historic her- and Culture, Industry and Trade, Housing and the Environment, Ag- economic activity. Its unbeatable strategic location, itage, culture, international events and excellent gas- riculture and Tourism, Employment and Social Protection, Policing, logistics connectivity, the availability of industrial land, tronomy are all worth discovering. Transport and Publics Works, and Hydraulic Resources. production network, very highly qualified labour force The quality of its social, educational and health ser- Donostia-San Sebastián and a high standard of living are key concepts for fac- vices have led to its population boasting one of the tories of large global brands that operate in Alava, and highest human development indices in the world. their value chains, to continue growing and increas- Because of all the above, Alava and its capital Vito- ing their investment in this province. A situation to ria-Gasteiz are a location to invest in, to discover, and which Alava contributes by promoting its competitive to live in. strengths and adding other factors such as technolog- Vitoria-Gasteiz ical commitment, internationalization of companies, Alava is for you. Alava Provincial Government Palace, Vitoria-Gasteiz Virgen Blanca Square, Vitoria-Gasteiz 8 ALAVA TO INVEST IN • LOCATION ALAVA TO INVEST IN • LOCATION 9 ALAVA TO INVEST IN UNBEATABLE STRATEGIC LOCATION IN SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE The history of the Province of Alava has been marked, El eslabón clave entre el Arco since the period of the Roman Empire, by its location AtlánticoThe key de link Europa between y los the Ejes Atlantic as a strategic spot in the connection over the West of Norte-SurArc of Europe y Este-Oeste and the deNorth- la the Pyrenees between the centre of Europe and the PenínsulaSouth and Ibérica. East-West Axes of the Iberian Peninsula. Iberian Peninsula. Alava took on a relevant role in the Middle Ages due A medio camino entre el centro to its axial situation at the crossroads of trade routes deMidway Europa betweeny el norte the de centreÁfrica. of and neighbouring kingdoms, also being a vital passage Europe and North Africa. for the route of the St James’ Way through the north. En un paso obligado de la Red The strategic value of Alava was strengthened with the PrioritariaOn an essential Transeuropea stage of del the consolidation of the network of communication axes TransporteOverland TransportTerrestre. Trans in Spain –traced in a radial shape from Madrid–: in European Priority Network. the XVIII Century the Royal Postal Road, an essential En el centro de la Ruta París- passage that crossed the province to connect the cap- Madrid-Lisboa.In the centre of the Paris- ital of the kingdom of Spain with France and, in the Madrid-Lisbon Route. middle of the XIX Century, the railway line that con- Junto a dos importantes puertos nects Madrid with France via Irun, which is the origin cargueros:Also two importantPuerto de Bilbao,freight ports: of the current trans-European route of overland trans- PuertoBilbao de Port, Pasajes. Pasaia Port. port Paris-Madrid-Lisbon across the peninsula. En un entorno inmediato de 4 The convergence in the province of this route with the In an immediate setting of 4 millones de personas. transversal axis that connects the east with the west million inhabitants. of the peninsula, makes Alava an unbeatable strategic location for the development of business activity in South West Europe. Over 15,000 trucks daily, mostly international, drive through Alava along the E-05 ( AP-1, A-1), the main artery The Port of Bilbao is the most important in the south of the European Atlantic Arc. It has of the route Paris-Madrid-Lisbon. a regular connection with 800 ports around the world. 10 ALAVA TO INVEST IN • CONNECTIVITY ALAVA TO INVEST IN • CONNECTIVITY 11 THE NUCLEUS OF THE LOGISTICS OFFER OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY: CONNECTIVITY 9,000,000 m2 FOR LOGISTICS USES THE BEST OF THE MEDIUM SIZED EUROPEAN REGIONS The most relevant international publication on the ty of land, has the highest concentration of potential subject of direct foreign investment (Financial Times, fDI top level logistics infrastructures and platforms that, The key link in the logistics Cities and Regions of the future 2016 /2017) awarded the together with the ports of Bilbao and Pasaia make chain in Southwestern Europe Basque Country the title of best logistics connectivity up the excellent logistics connectivity node of the of the medium sized European regions. Basque Country. VIAL –Vitoria Alava Logistics Solution– is the brand reference node for logistics in the north of Spain and Alava, due to its strategic location and the availabili- that identifies and groups together a set of special- a top level location on the logistics map of Europe. ized infrastructures and industrial estates for logistics The existing infrastructures are joined following a uses, concentrated in Alava. VIAL is the nucleus of huge investment with new projects launched that will the great logistics service of the Basque Country, the strengthen the current great logistics potential. Port of Bilbao Cantabrian Sea Port of Pasaia FRANCE San Sebastián AP-8 AP-1 AP-8 E-80 Irún Bilbao E-70 E-05 A-8 E-70 París-Madrid-Lisbon Route AP-68 A-1 E-80 AP-1 E-05 8 7 A-1 E-05 Pamplona 11 5 6 9 10 4 VITORIA 12 3 Trans-European transport route PARIS-VITORIA-MADRID-LISBON A Coruña-Barcelona Route A Coruña-Barcelona A-1 2 North-South Axis of the Iberian Peninsula 1 East-West Axis of the Iberian Peninsula INTERMODAL TRANSFER FOR ALL KINDS OF TRANSPORT AP-68 AP-1 Alava offers companies specific logistics solutions are four top level infrastructures that make intermod- Railway E-80 that facilitate connectivity with the whole world.