Iberdrola’s Global Smart Grid Hub and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia are celebrating their fifth anniversary with more than 120 partner companies and organisations

The Provincial Council of Bizkaia and Iberdrola today celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub (GSGIH) in Bilbao.

GSGIH is a public-private collaborative working environment between the electricity company and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, based in Bilbao and launched in 2021, which connects both parties with suppliers, start-ups, technology centres and universities, with the aim of using innovation as a lever to continue driving the electrification of the economy and improving the quality of service for customers connected to the grids, through solutions that strengthen their robustness, resilience, flexibility and security.

The event, held at the Berroeta Corporate Centre in Bilbao, was attended by the President of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe; Mario Ruiz-Tagle, CEO of Iberdrola Spain; Asís Canales, the company’s institutional representative; Ainara Basurko and Itxaso Berrojalbiz, councillors for Economic Development and Finance respectively at the Provincial Council of Bizkaia; Eva Mancera, CEO of Iberdrola’s i-DE Smart Grids; Javier Arriola, Director of the Northern Region at i-DE; and Estibaliz Goñi, Director of Processes and Technology at the Iberdrola Group’s distribution company, i-DE.

Since the Hub was established five years ago, i-DE’s investment in innovation has grown by 55% compared to the previous period, exceeding 40 million euros annually, contributing to the region’s competitiveness by driving the value chain and reinforcing Iberdrola’s position as the world’s leading utility in terms of R&D&I investment. Since its creation, the Hub has received more than 9,000 visits, giving visitors the opportunity to learn about the networks, understand their importance in the electrification of the economy and see the positive impact of public-private collaboration. Over the past five years, the GSGIH has brought together more than 120 partner organisations and companies. These include more than 10 universities, 10 technology centres, over 25 start-ups and 45 leading companies in the sector.

For the Deputy General of Bizkaia, Elixabete Etxanobe, this celebration represents “five years of work and progress, but above all five years in which Bizkaia has decided to position itself at the forefront of the energy transition. We are celebrating much more than an anniversary. We are celebrating a way of shaping and building Bizkaia’s future based on ambition, collaboration and the ability to anticipate challenges”. Etxanobe emphasised that “the war in the Middle East has reminded us of something essential: energy is not just a resource; it is a strategic issue. In this context, there is one indisputable certainty: without smart grids, there can be no energy transition. Without modern grids, there is no energy independence. There is no competitiveness. And there is no security”.

Asís Canales, president of i-DE, the Iberdrola Group’s distribution company, and the company’s institutional representative in the Basque Country, noted that “in a particularly significant year for Iberdrola, as we mark 125 years of history, the fifth anniversary of the Global Smart Grids Innovation Hub confirms that collaboration between companies and institutions is key to creating a global benchmark in electricity grid innovation”. “From Bizkaia, this ecosystem is bringing solutions to the world that reinforce smarter, more resilient and safer grids, which are fundamental to advancing the electrification of the economy.”

During the anniversary event, the Bizkaia Smart Grids Awards were presented to boost the competitiveness of businesses and entrepreneurs in the region. The Bizkaia Smart Grids Awards aim to recognise those R&D&I projects that generate new ideas, seek out the best methods and technologies, refine processes and create new knowledge that strengthens companies’ operations. All this takes place within a favourable environment in Bizkaia, featuring highly advanced fiscal tools that reinforce the capacity for foresight, resilience and competitiveness in the face of future challenges, enabling the development of products, processes and services that will accelerate the energy transition.

Over the past five years, the Hub has grown to such an extent that, by the end of 2023, the ‘GSGIH brand’ was created as a mark of excellence. This has led to the ‘Product developed at the GSG Innovation Hub’ certification being awarded by AENOR, as a way of recognising those data equipment or products developed within the Hub and effectively implemented as network solutions. There are currently 13 products on the market bearing this seal, representing 18 manufacturers. The Hub aims to have 20 certified products by the end of 2026, developed in collaboration with suppliers, many of whom are based in Bizkaia. The ENLIT trade fair held in Bizkaia last November provided the perfect showcase for the Hub’s partners to present their seal to the international electricity sector.

Iberdrola and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia have recently renewed the agreement that reinforces both parties’ commitment to technology as a lever for the electrification of the economy, industrial competitiveness and the creation of quality jobs, through innovation focused on equipment design, data products, systems and telecommunications networks that enable the distribution network’s capacity to be scaled up to meet growing demand. Furthermore, it aims to continue integrating renewable energies and building a safer, more reliable and resilient network, capable of tackling the challenges of climate change and cybersecurity.

125 YEARS COMMITTED TO THE NETWORKS OF THE FUTURE FROM BIZKAIA

The celebration of the Hub’s 5th anniversary in 2026 coincides with Iberdrola’s 125th anniversary. A true story of business success based on constant adaptation to changes in the sector, whilst always maintaining the highest standards of environmental performance, efficiency and customer service. Indeed, the development and modernisation of electricity networks is now a key element in all institutions’ vision for the future of energy. The commitment by Iberdrola and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia to establish this centre in Bilbao, where the networks of the future are designed through collaborative innovation, is yet another example of their commitment to contributing to society, also with a view to the next 125 years.

Iberdrola has made the website 125.iberdrola.com available to the public, which can also be accessed via the corporate website, where visitors can find all the information on the calendar of events related to the 125th anniversary. The website also features a wide range of audiovisual content that puts a face and a voice to those who have made this 125-year journey possible and are already laying the foundations for Iberdrola’s future. In this way, through real-life stories, it highlights Iberdrola’s impact on people’s lives and its role in moving towards a fairer, more fraternal, supportive and sustainable world through a more efficient, secure, innovative, competitive and self-sufficient energy model.

SMART GRIDS ACADEMY (SGA)

In addition, and as a result of the collaboration between the Provincial Council of Bizkaia and Iberdrola, the Smart Grids Academy (SGA) has been created. This is a pioneering initiative within the Provincial Council of Bizkaia’s “Bizkaia with the Talent” strategy to train active professionals from across the country in the energy sector and among smart grid suppliers, providing continuous training focused on technological specialisation.

The commitment to the future of smart grids represented by the Global Smart Grids Academy, driven by Iberdrola and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, forms the basis for defining a transformative project for the country within the framework of the Basque Country’s Industry Plan 2030.