The Bay Awards – Metropoli Edizioa

The winning projects in the first edition of The Bay Awards – Metropoli Edizioa were the All Iron and Boulevards of the Bilbao Estuary, the EDE Building, the Abanto-Parque Tecnológico de Euskadi Campus and SESTAO IND>>HARTU, promoted by Bilbao Metropoli 30 to recognize initiatives that contribute to the transformation of Metropolitan Bilbao.

These awards recognize pioneering, collaborative projects with the potential to generate impact in areas such as sustainability, social innovation, public-private partnerships, and economic transformation. The awards were granted in four categories: Ameslariak Saria, Agenda 2030 Saria, Bateginik Saria, and Ekin eta Zabaldu Saria.

A total of 43 candidatures were submitted to this first edition, promoted by public entities, social organisations, universities, educational centres, companies and organised citizens, which demonstrates the high level of involvement and creativity of the metropolitan urban ecosystem from multiple approaches: sustainability, inclusion, innovation, culture, education or digital transformation.

The four categories that recognise the strategic value of projects are aligned with the work of the Bilbao Metropoli 30 Association that promotes them:

Ameslariak Saria: for long-term projects that act with a strategic vision.
Agenda 2030 Saria: recognises initiatives that apply the SDGs at a local level, with a real impact.
Bateginik Saria: highlighting exemplary alliances between the public, private and social sectors.
Ekin eta Zabaldu Saria: for strategies that generate sustainable and inclusive economic prosperity.

The winning project in the ‘Ameslariak Saria’ category was All Iron and Boulevards of the Bilbao Estuary: urban regeneration for sustainable mobility, by the Regional Council of Bizkaia, for its strategic vision, transformative scale and long-term impact, which make it a project that imagines and builds the next big leap in the revitalisation process of our metropolis, restoring the estuary to its historic role as an axis of connection, cohesion and future.

Finalists:

Basque Hydrogen Corridor (BH2C). BH2C Association
Innovative tool for assessing the vulnerability of areas in Bilbao. Surbisa

In the ‘Agenda 2030 Saria’ category, the award went to the EDE Building: a new Urban Ecosystem for Social Innovation and Community Participation, by EDE Fundazioa. The jury valued the capacity of this physical space to become a true infrastructure for social transformation, as well as an initiative that exemplarily integrates housing, inclusive employment, community participation, culture and sustainability, resulting in an inspiring and replicable model for the metropolis.

Finalists:

Bihozondoz Eraturik: Experiential education in values. Cáritas Bizkaia
NBS-NOK Taldea. Working group to promote Nature-Based Solutions as an inspiring tool for adapting to climate change. IHOBE

The Abanto Campus: Heart of Green Hydrogen, presented by the Basque Technology Park, was awarded in the ‘Bateginik Saria’ category for articulating an exemplary alliance between institutions, companies and key knowledge agents, promoting innovation, investment, skilled employment and attracting talent through a solid and sustained public-private cooperation model.

Finalists:

Mobility project in the Bilbao River Estuary. Bilbao River Company
MIGRA-LAN SAREA – Collaborative network for the job integration of migrants and diversity management in companies. Barakaldo City Council

Finally, the SESTAO IND>>HARTU – Generation of Sustainable Industry project, by the Sestao City Council, was the winner in the ‘Ekin eta Zabaldu Saria’ category. The jury valued the project’s ability to reconnect the industrial identity of Metropolitan Bilbao with the challenges of the future and to strongly symbolise the commitment to transforming the industrial past into an engine of opportunity and future.

Finalists:

Circular model for the fashion industry. Duara Innovation Agency
Food Technology Park. Ortuella City Council

A new impetus for the metropolitan strategy

Inspired by the success of the international edition of The Bay Awards held in 2024, The Bay Awards – Metropoli Edizioa are part of the global Urban Revolution Aurrera! movement, promoted by Bilbao Metropoli 30. This metropolitan edition seeks to establish itself as a platform for meeting, mutual learning and collective construction of a shared vision of the future, in line with the organisation’s more than three decades of work to align public and private actors in Metropolitan Bilbao.

The name of the awards —The Bay— refers to the Bay of Bizkaia, where the metropolis is located, a symbol of diversity, openness and connection. Like bays, these awards aim to be a protected space to pause, learn, share and gain momentum for the future.

Members of the Metropolitan Jury