We at NEIKER are strengthening our commitment to innovation and the development of the agri-food sector by making Olatz Unamunzaga our new General Director. Her appointment by the Basque Government will help to boost knowledge transfer and connections with the agriculture sector in the Basque Country – one of our centre’s main priorities.

Unamunzaga holds a degree in Biology from the University of the Basque Country and a PhD in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Zaragoza. Throughout her career, she has done outstanding work in research and management, all the while consolidating her experience in the agri-food sector. She has worked at NEIKER for more than a decade, holding key positions as Head of Innovation and Technology. In that position, she led strategic projects aimed at the modernisation and sustainability of the agriculture sector, such as the sector-specific GEN i AGROALAVES project.

Unamunzaga also has additional training in business management (MBAe3) and has solid capacity as a leader, project manager, and effective communicator – skills that are key for her to successfully embark upon her new role as NEIKER’s leader.

Our new Director is facing the challenge of consolidating NEIKER’s role as a leader in agri-food and forestry research and promoting knowledge transfer to the agriculture sector. “NEIKER is in an exceptional position, with success rates of over 80% in diverse calls for proposals. This achievement reflects the excellence of our team. Even so, we must go one step further by ensuring that our research reaches every last farmer, livestock rancher, and forester”, says Unamunzaga.

Following the path marked by her predecessor at NEIKER, Leire Barañano, her main aim will be to establish closer ties with the sector through active listening and participatory research, placing the farmer at the centre of innovation. “We want our work to have a real impact on the competitiveness and sustainability of the agri-food sector, providing tools and solutions that meet sector needs”, she concludes.

With the appointment of Olatz Unamunzaga, NEIKER once again is reaffirming its commitment to research excellence and knowledge transfer, setting its sights on a more sustainable and competitive future for the agriculture and livestock sectors.

Finally, from NEIKER we would also like to thank our former general manager, Barañano, for her excellent work during the eight years she has been in charge of the center. Her work has been key to position NEIKER as a reference in its sector. We wish her every success in her new professional stage.