Euskadi will lead the development of the new generation of high-speed trains in Europe thanks to the Transformative Project called “BasqTrain 35”, driven by Talgo. The objective is to develop a new high-speed train capable of operating in all European countries, with modular and sustainable traction.
This Transformative Project addresses the fragmentation of the European railway system, where trains are manufactured for national markets, hindering cross-border movement and increasing production costs. It is projected to create over 140 high-skilled jobs in Euskadi, with an investment of 105 million euros over three years, of which 78 million will be allocated to R&D.
The project will be supported by the MAFEX cluster and various technological centers and agents of the Basque Network of Science, Technology, and Innovation, with CEIT at the forefront. The project led by Talgo will involve 12 Basque companies, 10 of them SMEs.
The presentation event was attended by Elixabete Etxanobe, Deputy General of Bizkaia; Mikel Jauregi, Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability; and José Jainaga, President of Talgo, among other top executives and leaders from the companies in the project's value chain.
“"When we say that Bizkaia is a territory for innovation, we mean that we have the capacity for an ambition to design the trains of the future to become a project that moves forward. That is why we promote R&D, we help finance industrial projects, we work to attract and train talent, we strengthen the roots of companies. Each of these decisions are impulses for initiatives like BasqTrain 35 to move forward."
Mikel Jauregi, Minister of Industry, stated that "the sustainable mobility sector is a driving and Winning sector of the Euskadi 2030 Industry Plan, and with this Transformative Project we want to take a leap in the development of our own high-speed technologies. Euskadi has the industrial and technological capacity to develop the new generation of trans-European high-speed trains".
José Antonio Jainaga, President of TALGO, said that "we lead the BASQTRAIN 35 project. It is a major Transformative Project, which involves many companies from the Basque industrial, technological, and scientific value chain, to strengthen Euskadi's railway leadership in high speed. We must continue to innovate to compete in a global market and be among the best players in the market".
Jainaga specified that "with this initiative, we are making commitments that will drive the entire system, concrete and measurable commitments, such as increasing the advantage of energy efficiency of our high-speed trains, promoting greater capabilities through advanced industrialization and AI; renewing the adaptability of our cars so they can travel through various countries worldwide; improving the user experience, with comfort and accessibility solutions, to consolidate our vanguard position and establish predictive maintenance and digitalization systems through intelligent monitoring".
Ingeteam will develop solutions for next-generation trains, contributing its expertise in power electronics, control, and energy management. The project will enable advancements in distributed traction systems and new control and monitoring technologies, improving energy efficiency, reducing weight, and optimizing space and maintenance for high-speed trains.
Of the 25 current Transformative Projects, 19 have already been launched, of which 11 are led by the public sector and 8 by the private sector. These eight private leadership Transformative Projects mobilize an initial investment of over 965 million euros, of which 507 million euros will be allocated to R&D and technological development.
