The mission will follow up on the meeting held between the Lehendakari and the President of Occitania, Carole Delga, on November 18, 2025, in Paris. This meeting initiated the idea of organizing a business and institutional visit to the Occitanian aerospace sector.
The mission will include a visit to Airbus facilities in Blagnac, a bilateral meeting between the Lehendakari and Carole Delga, and an institutional encounter with representatives from both delegations and the business network.
The first day, which will extend until October 21, will serve as the starting point for the mission. It will involve 23 representatives from Basque companies and institutions, supported by the Department of Industry of the Basque Government, led by counselor Mikel Jauregi. The objective is to foster relationships between the industrial ecosystems of both territories, facilitate new collaboration opportunities within the supply chains of major manufacturers, and promote joint innovation and research projects.
Beyond the economic dimension of the trip, the aim is to deepen bilateral relations and extend cooperation to other areas of mutual interest. Both territories participate in cross-border cooperation frameworks such as the Pyrenean Working Community and the European program POCTEFA.
In this way, the Basque Government seeks to establish a stable relationship between administrations, companies, clusters, and technology centers, transforming the connections made during this mission into new opportunities for collaboration in industry, innovation, and economic development.
Furthermore, through the visit to Airbus, the delegation will explore the company's facilities and the final assembly line for the A321, and engage in discussions regarding supply chain needs and innovation opportunities. This visit will allow for an analysis of the role Basque companies can play in addressing the challenges faced by the European aerospace industry in terms of production capacity, competitiveness, and resilience.
Following the institutional day led by the Lehendakari, the business delegation will continue its program on October 20 and 21, coordinated by the Department of Industry and Basque Trade & Investment, in collaboration with the Occitania region and sector stakeholders.
The agenda includes visits to world-leading companies in the aeronautics sector such as Safran and Liebherr-Aerospace, as well as Aerospace Valley, the technological institute IRT Saint Exupéry, PAD’OCC, and Thales Alenia Space. The program will provide firsthand insight into the industrial and technological capabilities of the Occitan ecosystem and identify areas of interest for future business partnerships and R&D projects.
The delegation comprises profiles related to advanced manufacturing, machine tools, aeronautical components, and technological research, with participation from companies, clusters, and centers integrated into BRTA (Basque Research and Technology Alliance).
Euskadi and Occitania possess complementary industrial capabilities and maintain a strategic relationship in the aerospace field. Occitania hosts major manufacturers and an aerospace and space ecosystem with international reach, while Euskadi has a strong network of companies specializing in engines, aerostructures, components, machine tools, advanced manufacturing, and space technology.
The Basque aerospace sector consists of 82 entities linked to the HEGAN cluster. In 2025, it generated a turnover of 3,413 million euros and created 15,133 jobs. Exports amounted to 2,896 million euros, and investment in research and development was 213 million euros.
Occitania, on the other hand, has 817 companies linked to the aerospace sector and employs over 110,000 people in this activity. The region is therefore an environment of particular interest for expanding the business relations of Basque companies and exploring new avenues of collaboration with manufacturers, suppliers, and research centers.
The mission aims to leverage this complementarity to strengthen European value chains, promote the entry of Basque companies into new industrial projects, and consolidate technological cooperation between the two territories.
