After the expectation of recent months, the presentation of the project on private university Euneiz has come. Innovaraba is already a reality and will be much more than an ambitious university project, according to the details made known by the Baskonia-Alavés team of Josean Kerejeta. The aim of this project, unanimously supported by the Basque institutions, is to become an international benchmark in the field of health, sport, training, entrepreneurship and new technologies.

The Innovaraba project, located in the area of sector 15 of Salburua, will have eight axes: In addition to Euneiz University, the start-up accelerator for start-ups, the international football academy, the international centre, the development and technical centre for young athletes, the residence for students and athletes (with capacity for 300-350 young people) and, finally, a centre for research and sports medicine. To these infrastructures must be added the project to expand the Bakh sports and leisure centre.

According to the project's drivers, "it will have a positive impact on the Basque economy, will have a significant socio-economic impact on the territory and will generate about 750 direct and indirect jobs".

The plan provides for a minimum private investment of EUR 64 million and the public cooperation of local authorities. However, according to Baskonia-Alavés, public funding will be earmarked "only and exclusively" for the creation of a "Hegan" entrepreneurship centre to support entrepreneurial development.

Euneiz University

The main pillar of the Innovaraba project will be Euneiz (European University of Vitoria-Gasteiz), a 100% funded university with private capital. It is expected to start the course 2022-23 and offer five four-year university degrees:

• Interactive digital content.
• Artistic creation for applied games and games.
• Musical production.
• Science of physical activity and sport.
• Physiotherapy.

It will also offer three official master's degrees as well as postgraduate courses, days and complementary activities.

Hegan Entrepreneurship Centre

Together with the university, they will create the Hegan company accelerator, with the objective of turning Vitoria-Gasteiz and Álava into a reference for entrepreneurship. The Alavese institutions consider that it is "an instrument for the transformation of the industrial fabric" so that "the territory remains competitive". In fact, total public investment will go towards this project.

Hegan has been presented as a "non-profit project" which, in addition to Baskonia-Alavés, will be managed by a foundation made up of institutions and other actors and companies in the territory.

Criticism of trade unions

While inside the Europe Palace the Baskonia-Alavés group and the institutions presented the Innovaraba project, the unions LAB, STEILAS, ELA, CCOO, CGT and ESK, along with Ernai and the Council of Students of the UPV, have concentrated to reject what they consider a "private elitist university of profit".

They have been "very concerned" because "as long as contributions to public universities are not enough, private universities have more and more facilities" and "more and more public money is being allocated". They have also criticized that the project will "double" the degrees that exist in the Basque university system and will enter into "competition" with the UPV/EHU, which will not make known the working conditions of the staff that will hire and which does not clarify the impact of the Basque country in its educational plans.

"With projects such as Euneiz, some politicians are allowing the dismantling of the public university system, turning their backs on citizenship," the unions added through a joint note. "In defense of public university education, Euneiz has been paralyzed," the calls have claimed.