Basque Country's advanced manufacturing prowess provides blueprint for Moray, guest blog be Elevator CEO Rachel Ross

Moray and the Basque Country sit well over a thousand miles apart, but economically they have more in common than many regions closer to home.

Both are places shaped by manufacturing rather than finance.  Both have a high proportion of family-owned firms, often passed down through the generations.  Both sit outside the orbit of dominant capital cities, with businesses that have learned to be resilient, practical, and quietly ambitious.

And both have faced the same underlying question over the past two decades: How do long-established manufacturing strengths remain competitive as energy systems, supply chains, and industrial markets change?

The Basque Country is often referenced because it chose to answer this question early, and to do so deliberately.  Today, manufacturing accounts for almost 25 per cent of the Basque economy, almost double the European average.  The region consistently ranks among Europe’s strongest industrial exporters.

Crucially, this success is not driven by large corporations.  It is underpinned by dense networks of SME manufacturers, many of them family-run, supplying energy, transport, advanced manufacturing, and industrial systems across global markets.

Energy transition played a central role in the Basque Country becoming a global champion, and that context matters for Moray today.  Scotland’s offshore wind pipeline, port and harbour investment, grid upgrades and industrial decarbonisation programmes represent long-term markets that will reshape Moray’s regional economy.

The question is not whether change is coming, rather how local businesses choose to engage with it.  That is where the Manufacturing Innovation Centre Moray (MICM) comes into focus.

A Moray Growth Deal project led by Highland and Islands Enterprise and delivered by Elevator, with funding from the UK and Scottish Governments and HIE, the Forres-based hub which is set to open its doors in April will support manufacturers across Moray and the wider Highlands and Islands to adopt advanced technologies, drive innovation, and power growth.

MICM should not be seen simply as a new building or another business support offer. Its real opportunity lies in acting as a practical interface between Moray’s manufacturing base and the markets forming around it. Not by prescribing solutions, but by creating space for informed decision-making.

For established manufacturers, that might mean understanding how current capabilities stack up against future procurement requirements. Where the gaps are, and how to close them. For some, it may be about modest process changes or certifications.

For smaller SMEs and micro businesses, the Basque experience offers an important reassurance. Participation in new supply chains does not have to mean growing beyond comfort or capacity. In the Basque Country, many small firms engage through consortia, contributing specialist services or components as part of a wider offer. That allows businesses to remain focused on what they do best, while accessing opportunities that would otherwise feel out of reach.

The Basque Country did not transform through instruction. It evolved because manufacturers chose to engage, one opportunity at a time, supported by institutions that understood their realities and respected their judgement.

Moray now has the chance to shape its own version of that story.