The Lehendakari acknowledges the role of family-owned businesses "in collective growth and success" of the Basque Country

• Imanol Pradales welcomes 50 international family-owned business leaders to the Family Business Network World Forum
• Family-owned businesses account for almost 90% of the Basque economic fabric

This morning, Lehendakari (Basque President) Imanol Pradales received an international representation of multigenerational family businesses, members of the Family Business Network (FBN)  at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, on the occasion of the celebration in Bilbao of the annual meeting of the association Large Families. The meeting was attended, among others, by the Regional Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregi; the Chairman, Alfoso Líbano, and CEO Alexis du Roy de Blicquy of the Family Business Network; and Chairman José Miguel Lanzagorta and Director Gaizka Zulaika of the Family-Owned Business Association of the Basque Country (AEFAME).

During his speech, the Lehendakari highlighted the choice of the Basque Country as the venue for this important annual conference and acknowledged the fundamental role played by family-owned businesses in the Basque economy. “Family-owned businesses represent almost 90% of our economic fabric. Therefore, sharing experiences and learning from each other is vital for our collective success and growth”, Pradales said.

In this context, the Lehendakari shared the foundations of the Euskadi Globala strategy to reinforce the international presence and to continue “building alliances that will allow us to continue growing” and recalled that “Euskadi is a small country with a proud spirit that looks out to the world. We are a dynamic and entrepreneurial country with a strong entrepreneurial spirit; an industrial, manufacturing, exporting and highly innovative country, recognised as such by the European Union.

Finally, Imanol Pradales stressed that “our prosperity is based on a modern and competitive economy”. In this sense, he called for a spirit of collaboration between family-owned businesses “to grow, stabilise and expand internationally”. “They will discover an attractive country that offers stability and security, excellent infrastructure, close and collaborative institutions, abundant talent, and an industrial ecosystem that fosters innovation", he stressed to the approximately 50 leaders of international family-owned businesses attending the event.