With 34 years of experience, Sutargi is employee-owned, aiming to create solutions for companies and employment opportunities for individuals in vulnerable situations. It has received two grants from the SPRI Group through the Hazitek program, which supports industrial research and experimental development for Basque companies.
The company was founded in 1992 by families of people with disabilities, who were members of the Ortzadar center in Donostia. Initially, they manufactured camping furniture for the Eredu cooperative. Years later, they entered the medical sector, assembling healthcare products for the Bexen cooperative. Subsequently, they expanded their business lines through industrial subcontracting in sectors such as rail and automotive.
In 2017, Sutargi ventured into the circular economy by manufacturing office furniture from recycled wooden pallets. It was a significant year for strategic reflection, leading to their decision to specialize in the medical and circular economy sectors by seeking strategic partners.
Currently, Sutargi's markets include furniture and equipment, medical devices, industrial subcontracting, and solutions derived from complex waste. Their target sectors are equipment, medicine, general industry, and the circular economy.
Last January, they established two companies of economic interest: Medikargi and Birzilan. Medikargi partners with Diker, specializing in microfluidics and plastic injection, enabling them to offer a complete industrialization process: mold design, manufacturing, piece production, assembly, and electronic circuit integration, all compliant with ISO 13485 standards. They provide third-party manufactured medical devices and are developing a Type 2B medical device incorporating data analytics.
For Birzilan, the partner is CM Plastik, a Valencian company that develops solutions from complex waste but did not industrialize them. They have manufactured various products for the agricultural sector from greenhouse plastics, such as signaling elements, rural furniture, and fences.
Next year, they will launch a new factory in the Urola region, with an investment of approximately three million euros. They are collaborating with the Basque Government's Agenda 2030 Directorate, Iraurgi Berritzen (Urola's development agency), and Urkome (Urola's rural development agency). This new facility will allow them to expand their sector activities, offering solutions certified under the ISO 9000 standard.
Sutargi's workforce comprises 410 individuals (170 employees and 140 people in social integration programs). Of these, 35% work in Medikargi and another 35% in Birzilan. The R&D department is crucial for the evolution of both companies, designing technically viable solutions with market entry potential.
Grants from the SPRI Group's Hazitek program have funded two projects with both companies, focusing on custom developments for treating and valorizing complex waste by manufacturing specific products. Future challenges are divided into two areas: becoming recognized specialists in both sectors at the business level, and creating insertion opportunities for vulnerable individuals at the social level.
