This article was translated by John R. Bopp
British Airlines publishes a magazine, Business Life, which can be found on all the local and short-distance flights the company offers, and is focused, as we’re sure you’ve figured out, on people interested in business. Over 100,000 copies are printed every month, to be read by over 700,000 readers/businesspeople, many of whom are managers.
We’re bringing this up today because the November issue dedicates four pages to Bilbao, the capital of Biscay. It’s a look at the largest Basque city with a point of view that’s rather different to the ones we’re used to.
Beginning to read the report surprised us. The perfect layout offers us the traditional tourist highlights, from the cuisine to sightseeing spots to hotels. But the main focus of the content is on aspects about economics, talent, innovation, research, etc. That is, aspects that are usually hidden by the city’s transformation, which really only ever focuses on things that interest tourists.
Biscay and the whole of the Land of the Basques is an industrial society, and one of the leading regions in Europe in terms of innovation (while it’s true that we’re not yet at the head of the pack, we’re also so far ahead that thirty years ago, it would have seemed miraculous, or indeed impossible, to be where we are today). Tourism is important, not least because it gives us the opportunity to change the image people around the world have of us after many decades of problems.
But the core of our economy is industry, as it has been for over a century, and should continue to be. The most important effort in all fields should be to make sure that this continues to be so: training, research, innovation — every aspect of our activity should be aimed at becoming one of the leaders in that sector in Europe, and advancing industrial output.
Those around us should be aware not only of what we are but also of what we want to be; that’s very important. And this is how you going about doing that: telling people about it.
Business Life – 11/2017 – Gran Gretaña
Last Updated on Dec 20, 2020 by About Basque Country
