However, we don’t want to miss our monthly opportunity to report on the association’s activities. There are our Begihandi events in Bilbao and Iruñea – one has already taken place and the other will be in May – as well as the first ‘Diseinuz’, the event that will represent the Bilbao Bizkaia Design Week, which is already taking shape; the latest Craftsmen’s Fair, held in Rentería this weekend; Serifalaris and Creativity is Female Fest, to be held in Getxo and Gasteiz respectively; the new EIDE website, launched last April, which is receiving such positive feedback… And to round it all off, the iF Design Award Night 2026, which concluded last April, paying unique recognition to the professionals and companies from the Basque Country and Navarre who are doing excellent work. Step by step, we continue to work on strengthening our role as a connector and driver within the design ecosystem.

New members

Throughout April, we have welcomed a new professional member and a new corporate member, giving them a very warm welcome, as we are confident that their diversity and experience will make a great contribution to the association.

__ ANASTASIA FEDOROVA. A product and UX/UI designer with extensive experience in B2B SaaS and FinTech projects, marketing and product management, who has recently moved to Bilbao where she works as a freelancer. More information →

__ NIESSEN. This Gipuzkoa-based company, headquartered in Oiartzun, has been designing and manufacturing electrical solutions for the home for over 110 years. They were the first to bring a range of modules to the market, and have continued to set trends with their meticulous and environmentally conscious design, as demonstrated by the numerous awards and recognition they have received — the latest being the IF Design Award 2026 in the GOLD category, received in Berlin last week. More information →

In process

__ BEGIHANDI #56 Pamplona (Katakrak, 28th May 2026)

On Thursday, 28th May, we will hold the first event of the year in Pamplona, at Katakrak (Mayor, 54), with three special speakers: Miren Doiz (painting, space and perception), ⁠Mikel Calvo (illustration, motion graphics and wall art), and Juan Angel Perotxena from MALMÖ (illustration and design). The poster was designed by our partners Workoholics. More information and registration →

__ BEGIHANDI #55 Bilbao
On 28th April, we will hold our second event of the year, this time in Bilbao and for the first time at BBK Kuna. We had three top-level speakers—Raquel Durán (Gheada), Paula García (Srta. Antonia) and Josu Ávila—and we were fascinated by their work and their very different approaches. You can find more information on the Begihandi website.

__ SERIFALARIS (Getxo, 15–16 May 2026)

At Serifalaris, they have long asked what inspires designers, and have concluded that it is often a lack of listening to professionals from the same discipline. That’s why this year, they have put together a particularly open and diverse programme, designed to inspire more than ever over two days. And, as in previous years, the organisers have wanted to express their gratitude to the Basque design community represented by EIDE and DIGA, and are offering a 20% discount; to get the discount, you just need to use one of the following codes: EIDE20 (for EIDE members) or DIGA20 (for DIGA members). Get your ticket →

__ Conference: DESIGNING PRODUCTS WITH INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY (Waste Lab Bizkaia, 27th May 2026)
Organised by the 3NEO Technology Platform and the Functional Print Cluster, this conference, which we are collaborating on, will take place on Wednesday, 27th May, and will address industrialisation processes through printed electronics and the role of design. We will present case studies from companies such as Taqta Projects, Salto Systems, BC Materials, Tecnalia, Cidetec, Azkoyen, and Grupo Antolín. More information and registration →

Other news

__ Creativity is Female Fest (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Saturday 6 June 2026)
The second edition is here: on Saturday, 6th June, at La Maratón (Vitoria-Gasteiz), we will have the chance to hear from Verònica Fuerte (Hey Studio) and Marina Salazar (No queda tinte), and Autoenfoque (¡Diseña pa la peña!) will be recording a live podcast with special guest Mina Barrio. Additionally, on Friday the 5th, there will be a Femias workshop on creating feminist images using AI, and on Saturday the 6th in the morning, there will be two more: a protest collage workshop with Marina Salazar and a mentoring session on leadership and communication with Maitena Salinas. EIDE members have a discount with the code EIDE20. More information and registration →

__ AZO!KA – Craft Fair

As part of the AZO!KA craft fair, which is being held this weekend in Errenteria, the Council and Oarsoaldea, in collaboration with EIDE, organised a meeting for professionals at the Agustinak Centre. The morning session was coordinated by Ramón Vergara (Contemporary Art and Craft Association), and attended by Amaia and Jesús Prieto (Baku Barrikupel), Paz Mesa, Aitor Martínez and Igor Herce (Ereintza). The afternoon session was coordinated by Manuel Martínez Torán (Head of the Craftsmanship Chair at the Polytechnic University of Valencia), and featured Idoia Cuesta, María Ruiz (Atelier Mel), Yolanda Sánchez (Ardi-ko) and Verónica García (Arbaso). The presentations and round tables sparked very interesting discussions about the precarious state of craftsmanship, the passing of the baton between generations, the cultural value of craftsmanship, and the need for initiatives like this one; These initiatives encourage artisans to step out of their workshops and lose their fear of collaborating, sharing and debating.

iF Design Award Night 2026
On 27th April, the iF Design Award 2026 awards ceremony was held in Berlin, attended by a large delegation of professional and business representatives from Navarre who had won awards; especially our corporate partner NIESSEN, which received the GOLD AWARD for its VEGA and ALTER VEGA switch lines. The Gala received special coverage in EITB news and programmes, given the large number of awards received, many of which were won by our association’s members. More information →

__ WLB – Circular Biodesign Challenge

Last Thursday, 30th April, the ‘Circular Biodesign Challenge’ kicked off at Waste Lab Bizkaia, a free training initiative to explore the potential of biodesign and biomaterials derived from local organic waste. This challenge, designed and launched by our partner Adele Orcajada, is aimed at professionals from the creative industries and companies interested in the recovery of organic waste. The challenge will be developed over two months, in four sessions. More information →

National Policy Labs

A consortium comprising the Spanish Network of Design Associations and the Design Foundation of the Valencian Community will represent Spain in this European initiative, which seeks to explore how design can be effectively integrated into public policies. Our proposal to lead one of the four European ‘National Policy Labs’ has been selected by BEDA. The strength of this project lies in the collaboration between the two organisations, a clear demonstration of the collaborative spirit that drives BEDA.

__ DUETO Bilbao-Detroit Programme – Open call for companies
Bilbao Ekintza has launched the first call for the DUETO Programme; this international initiative connects local companies with design professionals from other cities that make up the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), using design methodologies as a tool for innovation, process improvement or the development of new products and services. In this first edition, the programme will be developed with the support of the city of Detroit. Over a period of 3 to 6 months, a designer from Detroit will collaborate with a company in the Basque Country to define and develop a specific challenge by applying design methodologies. More information →