On Friday, 12th February, the Goierri Valley Association held its Extraordinary General Assembly by online transmission.

The assembly was attended by a large number of members. During the event were explained, among other issues, the actions developed during the year 2020 and the management plan and budgets planned for the year 2021. This was followed by the motions and approvals of this last point.

The event was opened by the president of the Association, José Antonio Guerra, who explained that 2020 was a year that began with strength and many projects in hand. Internationalization, with a presence in Mexico for the first time, and the Illusion project were, in principle, one of the main challenges of Goierri Valley for 2020, in which we would work on communication models, shared projects and leadership in the associated companies. But in March the situation took a radical turn, a pandemic arrived that nobody expected and in the end, the year 2020 turned out to be a very hard-hit year. The president explained that some projects had to be put on hold and that planned schedules had to be restructured. That from one day to the next we were confined and the minimum activity had to be redirected. That those who continued to work needed equipment to ensure their safety at work and that the Association managed a joint purchase of PPE. In just a few days, everyone's daily life changed completely, which modified Goierri Valley's priorities. José Antonio Guerra pointed out that this situation made us monitor the companies and, as an association, promote mutual support.

Guerra said that once the first wave had passed, the association continued to work to ensure the sustainability of industry in the Goierri Valley. The Association maintained and carried out actions such as the Presentation Breakfasts, the Strategic Perspectives with CAF, AMPO and ARCELORMITTAL OLABERRIA and the multi-level Purchasing, Human Resources and Occupational Risk Prevention Committees, although all adapted to the digital format. In addition to these actions, the association has continued to carry out individual interviews through the Berrabiarazi project. This initiative is carried out by Goieki with the help of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. The aim is to find out about the situation of the companies and to be able to collaborate in this process. To conclude, the president of the association monitored several indicators.

Then, Iker Galparsoro, secretary of the association, took the floor to point out that the year 2021 will involve no small challenges and explained the main aims of the association for the year 2021. He stated that the association has seen the need to analyse its strategy and that at the end of the year it wants to tackle its new definition. However, until then, Goierri Valley will continue to work on the four main axes that it has worked on to date: inter-cooperation and collaboration networks, strengthening of SMEs, visibility and notoriety of the association and value-added services. To carry out the first axis, the association will maintain the Presentation Breakfasts and the Database of Representatives. In addition, it will work on Value ShARE, Munduan and business-to-business collaboration projects. In order to guarantee the collaboration network, the Multilevel Forums will be promoted and relations between representatives will be fostered. However, to strengthen SMEs, the main axes will be Digitalization, Industry 4.0, Electromobility, Succession, Purchasing, Leadership and the Diagnosis of the situation of companies through Berrabiarazi. This year the association also wants to work in depth on visibility and notoriety among all its audiences, as well as continuing to transmit the association's day-to-day activities on its intranet, website and social networks. Finally, Iker pointed out that the association will continue to provide value-added services, such as help with the COVID 19 situation, grant management, talks of interest, management of industrial spaces, training, the investment table and other value-added services.

Finally, to conclude the event, the association's treasurer, Eider Iztueta, presented the 2021 budget (a total budget of €451,044.64). After all these explanations, the event was approved and closed. As has been mentioned, we have a year full of actions ahead of us and although 2021 does not yet allow us to live with normality, in the association we will not stand still, we will continue to make every possible effort to carry out and implement the projects mentioned.

The values that define the identity of the Goierri Valley Association are now more important than ever, because together we go further, we are an industrial association and by promoting the collaboration of all, the future is ours. And this year, in particular, we cannot forget that.