Innovating democracy: What can we contribute? An international perspective and dialogue

Naiara Goia is currently the Managing Director of Arantzazulab, a leading democracy innovation lab and reference centre for collaborative governance in the Basque Country. Since 2020, she has been responsible for the design, launch and development of the lab. An expert in innovation, Naiara brings over 20 years of experience in directing complex, strategic public-private initiatives on an international level. Prior to her role at Arantzazulab, she worked for many years at MONDRAGON Corporation (world leader in the cooperative movement and the largest business group in the Basque Country), where she led various initiatives focused on open innovation, promoting technological and social innovation strategies aimed at business transformations in the cooperative sector. Naiara's work is driven by a deep commitment to democratic innovation, fostering collaborative networks and developing comprehensive strategies for systemic governance transformation. She also collaborates with several universities as a lecturer. Naiara holds a Masters in Telecommunications Engineering (UPV/EHU - ENST Bretagne) and an MBA in Business Management. She has had additional training in Collaborative governance, Leadership, Public communication, among others

Asesor de la Secretaría General de Transición Social y Agenda 2030. Lehendakaritza-Gobierno Vasco (2021-2022). Asesor de la Secretaría General de Acción Exterior. Lehendakaritza-Gobierno vasco (2017-2021). Profesor de Relaciones Internacionales en la Universidad de Deusto (2016-actualidad). Asesor de Gobernanza Pública y Autogobierno. Gobierno Vasco (2012-2016). Alcalde de Azkoitia (2003-2011). Portavoz de EAJ-PNV JJGG de Gipuzkoa (2003-2011).

Mari Jose Aranguren is the general director at Orkestra and Professor in Economics at Deusto University. She has worked at Orkestra since its beginning in 2006. Mari Jose is a recognised expert in the area of competitiveness and territorial strategy, cluster and networks, and the analysis and evaluation of policies, having published several books and articles in specialised national and international journals of impact. She has vast experience in leading national and international projects in the research areas previously mentioned and has worked closely with different agents of the Basque Country. In December of 2016 Mari Jose received a special recognition from Harvard’s Institute of Strategy and Competitiveness for her career and contribution to territorial competitiveness. From 2014 to 2016 Mari Jose was a member of the Advisory Group for the European Commission as part of the Horizon 2020 programme, in the Societal Challenge 6 ‘Europe in a changing world – Inclusive, Innovative

Profesor Titular de Mondragon Unibertsitatea. Doctor en Filosofía.

Naiara Goia is currently the Managing Director of Arantzazulab, a leading democracy innovation lab and reference centre for collaborative governance in the Basque Country. Since 2020, she has been responsible for the design, launch and development of the lab. An expert in innovation, Naiara brings over 20 years of experience in directing complex, strategic public-private initiatives on an international level. Prior to her role at Arantzazulab, she worked for many years at MONDRAGON Corporation (world leader in the cooperative movement and the largest business group in the Basque Country), where she led various initiatives focused on open innovation, promoting technological and social innovation strategies aimed at business transformations in the cooperative sector. Naiara's work is driven by a deep commitment to democratic innovation, fostering collaborative networks and developing comprehensive strategies for systemic governance transformation. She also collaborates with several universities as a lecturer. Naiara holds a Masters in Telecommunications Engineering (UPV/EHU - ENST Bretagne) and an MBA in Business Management. She has had additional training in Collaborative governance, Leadership, Public communication, among others

Co-founder with Yago Bermejo of Deliberativa, an organisation that advises governments to design and implement deliberative processes involving citizens chosen through civic lottery, and promotes deliberative democracy. Co-author with Ernesto Ganuza of the book "La democracia es posible. Sorteo cívico y deliberación para rescatar el poder de la ciudadanía" ("Democracy is possible. Civic lottery and deliberation to reclaim the power of citizens" (2020, Ed. Consonni). She is a member of FIDE (Federation for Innovation Democracy - Europe), Democracy R&D, Innovative Citizen Participation Network of the OECD and KNOCA. In a previous life she designed and activated crossovers between the arts and other fields of production. She is still closely following the project she created together with Idoia Zabaleta and Ixiar Rozas, Borradores del futuro (Drafts of the future), a collection of stories that imagine the future of existing alternatives. Graduated in Political Science from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Bordeaux (France). Holds a Master's degree in Arts Management from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Lives in Bilbao.