MINUTES FROM VIII CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE AND PUBLIC WORKS IN SPAIN
June 2-4, 2022
La Encartada Fabrika-Museoa (Balmaseda, Bizkaia)

Bizkaia hosted the VIII Congress on Industrial Heritage and Public Works in 2022. An event convened by TICCIH-Spain that took place at a significant industrial heritage site, La Encartada Fabrika-Museoa, managed by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
During the congress, for the first time, the focus was placed on the specific roles that industrialization has had and continues to have for women: as workers, entrepreneurs, technicians… but also as researchers, professionals, and managers of cultural heritage that has often been presented as entirely alien to their reality.

A novel perspective on treating industrial heritage that continues the path started years ago by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. The Provincial Institution considers it essential to know and make visible the work done by women, as it will provide us with more information about who we are and offer a more realistic view of our history. From our strong commitment to gender equality (aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations), I want to express the pride that the Provincial Institution feels for contributing to the organization of this congress and hosting it, moreover, in one of the most relevant elements of European industrial heritage, La Encartada Fabrika-Museoa.

This gem of industrial heritage is closely linked to the theme of the congress, as La Encartada Fabrika-Museoa works daily to highlight the contributions of women to the Basque industrial revolution, with a training program that has received national and international recognition.

This congress aligns with the Provincial Institution’s policy, as it looks to the past and the present to open up avenues of research for new heritage proposals. Sharing and staying informed about pioneering experiences, creating a close network of collaboration is crucial to delve deeper and progress in equality, also in the field of heritage. The celebration of the congress is one more step towards that goal.

Eskerrik asko.

Lorea Bilbao Ibarra
Deputy for Basque Language, Culture, and Sports of Bizkaia

You can download the minutes from the VIII Congress on Industrial Heritage and Public Works in Spain, in the form of a book (in Spanish), from here.