Regional Impact Trade Alliance - 2nd Catalytic Encounter
May 27 - 28 - 29
Bilbao - Donostia / San Sebastián
Building the Future of Collaborative Inter-regional Impact Trade from Euskadi
Territories from Europe and Latin America converge in the Basque Country to forge new alliances, trade agreements, and shared pathways toward sustainable prosperity.
CAPACITY
Up to 30 Territories - By Invitation Only
LOCATION
Bilbao & Donostia / San Sebastián - Euskadi
DEADLINE TO APPLY
May 1st 2026
About the Encounter
Where Regions Trade with Purpose
The 2nd RITA Catalytic Encounter builds on the momentum of Mendoza, Argentina (June 2025), bringing together up to 30 territories from Europe and Latin America for three intensive days of collaboration, deal-making, and shared learning.
Co-organised by the Basque Government through eLankidetza and the Directorate of Social Innovation & Agenda 2030, alongside ECODES and RITA, this encounter is both a milestone and a springboard — a chance to deepen the Alliance's foundations and catalyse real interregional agreements.
Participation is by invitation only to ensure the quality and depth of conversations. Places are strictly limited across the four-helix model: public sector, private sector, civil society, and academia.
27–29 May
Bilbao · Donostia / San Sebastián — Euskadi
Why now · Why Euskadi
A historic window of opportunity
The EU–Mercosur free trade agreement (the largest trade zone in history) is now in place, joining existing agreements with Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. These accords shape a shared market of over 900 million people.
For impact-oriented territories, this is not just a trade opportunity — it is an invitation to demonstrate that regenerative, purpose-driven trade between regions can become the norm rather than the exception.
Euskadi brings a unique vantage point: the UN Local 2030 Secretariat Office is based in Bilbao, the Blueprint Initiative for SDG Localisation is anchored here, and the Basque Country is a living model of social innovation, cooperative economy, and multi-actor governance.
This Encounter is an opportunity for pioneering regions to continue co-creating the standards, governance, and economic model of the RITA alliance while inter-regional relationships that would convert in future impact trade deals.
Key Objectives
What we will achieve together
Three days to advance interregional impact trade
The programme combines institutional plenaries, dialogue tables, B2B sessions, RITA working groups, and on-site experiences across Euskadi. Speakers marked * pending confirmation.
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Institutional opening — the RITA spirit
- Víctor Viñuales, President, ECODES
- Pedro Tarak, Co-founder, RITA
- Javier Cortés, Director, Elankidetza
-
ALMA Global Approach & the Basque ecosystem
- Sebastien Vauzelle, Local2030 Coalition, United Nations
- Aran Acha, Euskadi Local2030 Hub
- Javier Cortés, Elankidetza
-
Dialogue table: trade opportunities via Mercosur
- Sonia González, Director, EU Inclusive Societies Programme (FIAPP)
- Marta Casado, International Trade Law, Universidad de Deusto
- Gabriel Guggisberg, Director, ProChile — Spain & Portugal
- David Muñoz, Sustainability Director, ICEX
- First B2B session among attendees
- 4 single-actor spaces to identify synergies Public sector · Private sector · Academia · Civil society
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Stories that inspire: territorial impact cases
- Roma Empresa Comunale
- Orkestra: territorial competitiveness framework for well-being
- Valparaíso Impact Region
- ABOCA–Sinal do Vale: regenerative interregional investment
- Maule–Mendoza: Chile–Argentina Binational Committee
- Academic collaboration for interregional impact trade
-
Kick-off: RITA Working Groups (3+4)
- Standards for Impact Regions
- RITA Governance
- Sustainable Economic Model
- Sustainable Competitiveness of Impact Regions
- Brand / RITA-RIO
- Independent Verification System
- Technology Platform
-
Table: active citizenship and the Just Transition
6 experiences from Euskadi and RITA territories
- Iñaki Martínez de Luna, Garabide ODS 18
- Roberto San Salvador, Ciudadanía anónima
- Iosu Martinez, Territorios con Alma Euskadi
- Andros Routes, ANDRION Greece
- Custodia Agraria, GOB Menorca
- Santuario del Maipo, Chile
-
Table: capacity-building & innovation in public management, business, academia & civil society
6 experiences from Euskadi and RITA territories
- Fernando Sierra, Euskalit
- Julia Aramendi, Sustainable competitiveness, Alboan
- Jon Kepa Izagirre, CEO, A&B Laboratorios
- Sustainable Business Hub, Univ. Andrés Bello — Valparaíso & Maule
- PTIT, Universidad de Mar del Plata
- World Forum for a Responsible Economy, Réseau Alliances
-
Table: missions, roadmaps & co-created plans for territorial impact
6 experiences from Euskadi and RITA territories
- Maitane Leizaola, Bermeo Tuna — tuna value-chain sustainability *
- Olga Martín, Aclima *
- Cristina Murillo-Gaia, GAIA — Basque Knowledge Industries Assoc. *
- Boden schaffen, Regenerative Food Region, Lake Constance, Germany
- Positive economy in coffee zone, Soconusco, UNACH Mexico
- Mar de Cortés proposal, Mexico
-
Table: attracting impact finance for the Just Transition
6 experiences from Euskadi and RITA territories
- Sustainable taxation & green bonds *
- Gustavo Vinacua, Net Positive Labs — RITA Global
- Acctiva, Córdoba — Agencia Córdoba Innovar y Emprender / Ente BioCBA
- Junta de Adelanto del Maule, Regional Development Funds, Chile
- LUUM, Alterna — Guatemala
- Cultural visit to the Guggenheim Museum
- Second B2B session among attendees
-
Continuation: RITA Working Groups (3+4)
- Standards for Impact Regions
- RITA Governance
- Sustainable Economic Model
- Sustainable Competitiveness of Impact Regions
- Brand / RITA-RIO
- Independent Verification System
- Technology Platform
- Transfer Bilbao → Donostia: third B2B session
-
Institutional opening by the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa
- Javier Cortés, Director, Elankidetza
- José Ignacio Asensio Bazterra, First Deputy General & Deputy for Sustainability
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Table: ecological transition policies in Gipuzkoa & opportunities for other territories
- Mónica Pedreira, Director of Ecological Transition, Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa
- Javier Zubia, Chamber of Commerce of Gipuzkoa
-
Table: energy communities & energy storage
- Garbiñe Olaberria, Environment Officer, Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa
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Table: sustainable territorial management & Circular Economy
- César Gimeno, Director General, GHK — urban waste
- Jose Iraolagoitia, Metal 78 — industrial waste
- Hector Olabegogeaskoetxea, Kudebatt
- Álvaro Campuzano & Jorge Alemany, PBR
- Amaia Ferro, Mondragon Group — shared-ownership business model
- Institutions
- Academia
- Circular economy
- Industry
- Energy
- Agri-food
- Mobility
- Tourism
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Closing plenary — outcomes from RITA Working Groups (3+4)
- Standards for Impact Regions
- RITA Governance
- Sustainable Economic Model
- Sustainable Competitiveness of Impact Regions
- Brand / RITA-RIO
- Independent Verification System
- Technology Platform
Visiting Euskadi
Euskadi will welcome attendees of the 2nd Catalytic Encounter of the Regional Impact Trade Alliance (RITA) across two cities — Bilbao and Donostia San Sebastián — that have established themselves as benchmarks not only for their quality of life, but for their capacity to activate social innovation processes driving sustainable and participatory transformation. Both cities have successfully reinvented themselves from traditional industrial models into urban ecosystems where citizens, institutions and the business community collaborate to tackle social and environmental challenges.
City 01 · Days 1–2
Bilbao
27–28 MayOnce industrial, today a benchmark of urban design and creativity. From the iconic Guggenheim to the soul of the Casco Viejo and pintxos culture along the Ría — Bilbao is a city in constant, purposeful evolution.
Venue
Calle María Díaz de Haro, 3, Abando, 48013 Bilbao
Accommodation
bilbaoturismo.net → Hotels ↗City 02 · Day 3
Donostia / San Sebastián
29 MayClassical elegance meets radical sustainability. The bay of La Concha, the old quarter, and pioneering projects in circular economy, local food and smart neighbourhoods make Donostia a city worth exploring slowly.
Venue
To be confirmed — details shared with registered participants.
Accommodation
sansebastianturismoa.eus → Hotels ↗
Bilbao · Donostia / San Sebastián — Euskadi
27-28-29 of May 2026
Regional Impact Trade Alliance
Second Catalytic Encounter
For more information: rita.meeting2026@ecodes.org