Unleashing the Potential of Industrial Clusters 2025

Clusters can expand their collaboration with public authorities to inform strategies, policy frameworks, enabling measures and funding aligned with industry needs and the energy transition. Industrial clusters, as important centres of industrial activity and trade nodes, could further their collaboration with public bodies in support of achieving their energy transition roadmap. For example, cluster procurement practices could incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) or system-value criteria and could be supported by governments to help address the green premium in the short- to mid- term. Conversely, public procurement of goods and services can also assist in creating demand signals to advance the development of supply and trade infrastructure, which is often within an industrial cluster. Cluster-public collaboration The Net-Zero Basque Industrial Super Cluster (NZBIS) aims to accelerate the path to net-zero emissions in the Basque Country in Spain while creating market opportunities by scaling up new technologies and innovative services. To achieve this, it brings together the efforts of both the public and private sectors, represented by industrial cluster associations that encompass both energy demand and technological solution providers. Driven by the Basque Government, particularly through the Basque Business Development Agency (SPRI) Group, the cluster plays a key role in facilitating the energy transition. It aligns business needs with technological supply, encouraging investment in infrastructure priorities. What sets NZBIS apart is its collaborative framework, which unites public institutions, industry leaders, research and technology organizations and energy providers, building on over 40 years of cooperation between the local government and industry structured through industrial cluster policy. Focusing on five major industries (pulp and paper, cement, refining, steel and foundry) that account for 68% of the region’s GHG emissions, the cluster has developed sector- specific roadmaps for emissions reduction. It emphasizes innovation in green hydrogen, energy efficiency and digitalization while promoting systemic efficiency and circularity across industries. Notably, companies like Repsol (a global energy company, through its Basque subsidiary Petronor) and Iberdrola (a global utility company headquartered in the Basque Country) play key roles, using the cluster’s coordination to advance the region’s initiatives on hydrogen and electrification. One of the NZBIS’ key achievements is the establishment of the Industrial Decarbonization Forum, which brings together technology providers and industrial leaders to identify opportunities and drive collaborative decarbonization projects. According to SPRI Group, the NZBIS anticipates net-zero industrial emissions by 2050 and expects to generate €2-3 billion GDP and 20,000-30,000 jobs for the Basque Country. The Basque cluster exemplifies how strong regional government leadership can drive the creation of clean energy hubs. By collaborating with key partners like Iberdrola and Petronor/ Repsol, we streamline priorities and align business needs, accelerating infrastructure investments in electrification and hydrogen. Our role as public facilitators enhances coordination among stakeholders, enabling us to address urgent clean power needs while fostering innovation and sustainable growth. Cristina Oyon, Deputy Director General, SPRI GroupCASE STUDY 4 The government-led Net-Zero Basque Industrial Super Cluster working effectively through a collaborative framework Unleashing the Full Potential of Industrial Clusters: Infrastructure Solutions for Clean Energies 17