The Regional Minister for Industry, Mikel Jauregi, Visits Schaeffler’s Plant in Elgoibar, a Pioneer in Industrial Digitalisation

• The Regional Minister highlighted the commitment of Basque industry to leading the digital transition and decarbonisation “and Schaeffler is a clear example on both fronts, which are key pillars of the Basque Government’s Industry Plan”.

The Basque Government’s Regional Minister for Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregi, visited this morning the Schaeffler plant in Elgoibar, Gipuzkoa. During the visit, he had the opportunity to see first-hand facilities that are benchmarks in industrial digitalisation, regarded as one of the Group’s digital pilot plants. Accompanied by the Deputy Minister for Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Jaione Ganzarain, the Regional Minister was received by Valentín Guisasola, Country Manager of Schaeffler in Spain and Plant Manager.

Together they toured the different areas of the company’s facilities, gaining first-hand insight into its main projects, its business strategy and the implementation of digitalisation at the Elgoibar plant. This means that the production machines are fully connected to the IT system, with the capacity to decide autonomously what to manufacture, independently carry out the necessary adjustments for new components, and direct the driverless transport systems that regulate the flow of parts in production, thereby achieving a high level of manufacturing autonomy.

The Schaeffler Group is a leading motion technology company and one of the world’s main players among automotive and industrial suppliers. With 120,000 employees and more than 100 production plants worldwide, it achieved sales exceeding €18.2 billion in 2024.

In Spain, it has a workforce of 388 employees, distributed between its production plant in Elgoibar (240) and its sales offices in Barcelona and Madrid. The Schaeffler Group’s turnover in Spain reached €650 million in 2024.

The Elgoibar plant has made a significant commitment to decarbonisation, using energy sourced exclusively from renewable sources since 2020, with a 400 MW photovoltaic self-generation installation and continuous improvements in energy efficiency. As part of its commitment to sustainability, 75% of the steel it uses is purchased from suppliers in Euskadi, who provide carbon-neutral steel through offset certificates backed by investments in renewable energy.

During the visit, Regional Minister Mikel Jauregi emphasised the commitment of Basque industry to leading the digital transition and decarbonisation “and Schaeffler is a clear example on both fronts”. Both areas are identified as key pillars in the Basque Government’s Euskadi Industry Plan 2030, serving as drivers of competitiveness in the pursuit of more industry, better industry and fewer emissions.

“As in the case of Schaeffler, the commitment of Basque industry to energy self-consumption is an example of its dedication to decarbonisation and competitiveness. Energy self-consumption has grown by 30% in Euskadi, driven by industry. From the Basque Government, we encourage all Basque industry, and especially SMEs, to apply for and benefit from the self-consumption support schemes, which allow them to receive direct grants of up to 45% of the investment, in addition to a 35% tax deduction. Investing in decarbonisation is beneficial for our economy insofar as it strengthens industrial competitiveness,” the Regional Minister concluded.