03 October 2025
Bilbao Campus
On 3 October, the University of Deusto, i-DE (Iberdrola Group) and the GAIA Cluster organised a meeting bringing together expert organisations to address the current challenges of the Smart Industry and the talent required to meet them. During the event, opened by the Dean of Engineering, Andoni Eguíluz, i-DE (Iberdrola Group) presented the current context of smart electrical grids (Smart Grids), emphasising their strategic role in the energy transition and the challenges associated with attracting and training qualified talent in a sector undergoing full digital transformation.
Following this, GAIA introduced the Smart Grid Academy (SGA) initiative, a training platform jointly launched with Iberdrola, aimed at developing the professional skills needed to meet the technological challenges of the new energy model. Tomás Iriondo, CEO of GAIA, and Begoña Peña, Director of Basque Data, spoke about the importance of creating a collaborative ecosystem that connects industry, knowledge and talent to guarantee a sustainable and innovative energy future.
This was followed by a round-table discussion entitled "Smart Industry: Key Challenges and Talent Development as a Strategic Pillar", featuring Estibaliz Goñi, Director of Processes and Technology at i-DE (Iberdrola Group); Luis Garrido, Regional Director of Digital Industry at Siemens; and Patxi Samaniego, Innovation Director at Grupo Inzu. The institutional closing was delivered by Ainara Basurko, Provincial Deputy for Economic Promotion, BFA-DFB.
