Two and a half years have passed since the process of transforming the Language Industry in the Basque Country into a cluster began. Attempts have already been made. The previous one was around the year 2000. The latter, which managed to ignite the green light at the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, was launched on the initiative of the members of the Elhuyar Foundation.

At first the companies based in Gipuzkoa were called, with which the process of clustering began, in the conviction that it would be an attempt to extend it rapidly to the whole of the Basque Country. The crisis then opened to the door, but, to everyone’s surprise, the interventions that defined the first strategic plan were very active.

In the article published on these pages in May 2009, infected by the illusion of those of us who formed Langune, I showed optimism. Since then we have met with several advisers, and I believe that we are in a dark tunnel, to which I have not been able to see the exit. Although in recent months I have moved away from the first level of meetings between Langune, I wanted to follow the process as closely as possible, perhaps one of the few dreams that I have not been able to carry out in my professional life and that is intended to be achieved through Langune.

It is true that Langune is in the process of structuring, but I see him some things that concern me. For example, the structuring process is becoming too long for some, or the suspicions that have always existed between associated companies are still present. For example, the ‘industrial category’ that we have in front of administrations is kept to a minimum.

Someone can say that the crisis has not helped us and that the administration has other urgent priorities. If I agree with these assumptions, I think we should also look inside ourselves.

For example, has collaboration on projects been stepped up between those of us who have worked on Langune over the past two years? I do not agree. It seems to me that the exclusionary struggle we have had historically among ourselves remains the same.

For its part, the Administration, when it has allocated a member of the research centre concerned in Langune, and not Langune himself, the feasibility study of the centre, has not increased the suspicions left over from us? Couldn't that be done differently?

Furthermore, in defining possible strategic projects in the long meetings between us, have we not clashed with the limited Basque market, and have we not felt – even if nobody says so – that the Basque country has little practical interest in the industry?

As I said, I am at least in the dark tunnel, but believe me, I want to see the exit as soon as possible.