THE EXPERT'S VIEW
The director general of IK4-TEKNIKER, Alex Bengoa, has made a positive appraisal of the centre's last three years of activities. This scenario is the best starting point that will allow IK4-TEKNIKER to develop the 2020 Strategic Plan that will also enhance its strategic position, prestige and financial results.
It was last year when IK4-TEKNIKER reached the end of its most recent strategic period that has been influenced by several fundamental landmarks; on the one hand, the financial crisis and globalisation that gave rise to an economic paradigm full of uncertainties, although this scenario, on the other hand, has brought about a plethora of opportunities that have placed the Centre in an optimum position to deal with future challenges.
Notwithstanding all the turmoil experienced in the macroeconomic sphere, the Strategic Plan has produced positive results, a fact fully supported by figures. During this period, IK4-TEKNIKER grew 8% in terms of revenues and was able to increase the size of its workforce by 7%. In addition, the number of collaborating entities, whose growth is supported by the new strategic framework for 2020, totalled 8 new and highly relevant companies in 2017, namely: Egile, iLine, Maier, Ona Electroerosión, Pasaban, Ulma Handling Systems, Zayer and Juaristi.
The centre's balance sheets of recent years have built up a sufficiently solid base to deal with future challenges over the next few years. The main objective is to increase R&D&i turnover under contract by the year 2020. To achieve this goal, IK4-TEKNIKER will reinforce its commercial activities and exploit its technological assets better. They centre will also intensify its specific focus on micro SMEs and reinforce its Technology Transfer team to reach out to the market with more power and better conditions to fully accomplish its mission.
These are certainly ambitious goals and none of them can be achieved without the support of public institutions, collaborating entities and customers. This would never be possible, of course, without our staff or all those other people that are currently collaborating with IK4-TEKNIKERY in one way or another: I would like all of them to receive my recognition and sincere thanks.
These results constitute the best guarantee for IK4-TEKNIKER to address its new Strategic Plan optimistically as the technology centre will, once again, support the Basque industrial and economic fabric and improve the competitiveness of industrial firms.
