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In 2002, Professor Michael Porter and his colleagues at Harvard University created the Microeconomics of Competitiveness (MOC) course to explore the determinants of competitiveness, and promoted the MOC network, which consists of educational institutions around the world that teach the course and conduct research in the field of competitiveness. The University of Deusto started teaching the MOC in the Basque Country in 2003 and promoted the creation of Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness three years later to consolidate teaching and research activities related to competitiveness.  

Orkestra is currently a leading member of this network, which brings together more than 120 institutions from all over the world. Our general director, Mari Jose Aranguren, is participating as a speaker at the network's annual meeting taking place in Boston this week: "The MOC network has helped us to generate a common language on competitiveness in the Basque Country, training more than 450 people in this field, and has allowed us to share learning with top-level institutions from all over the world", she said.

According to Aranguren, Professor Porter's research has had a clear impact on cluster policy in the Basque Country and the MOC alumni network has been fundamental in disseminating knowledge and culture regarding these organisations in the territory.

Orkestra, the main competitiveness institute of the MOC network

The Competitiveness Institutes are a key platform for the MOC network, as they engage in impact projects with local partners in government and business, and provide a stronger structure for competitiveness-related teaching and research activities.

Orkestra is one of the main institutes in the network, not only because of the number of projects it carries out or the size of its team, but also because of its capacity to have an impact on competitiveness for the wellbeing of the Basque Country. That is why, this year, it has had a prominent place in the annual meeting of the MOC network. Mari Jose Aranguren gave a presentation on the first day of the meeting, in which she shared lessons learned about how the institute connects knowledge on territorial competitiveness with the challenges facing the Basque Country, carrying out transformative research.

Orkestra also appears as a success story in the special publication summarising the trajectory of the MOC network and its contribution to competitiveness on the occasion of its 20th anniversary. The report highlights the institute's capacity to generate analyses on the competitive position of the Basque Country and to contribute to decision-making, as well as its international relevance as a research centre and its capacity to disseminate knowledge on the Basque economy at a global level.

Proof of this is the Orkestra Case study drawn up by Harvard University in 2016, which highlights the unique value of the Basque Competitiveness Institute and its capacity to combine academic research and training with the development of different projects in collaboration with other agents in the territory, both public and private. The Harvard cases are a global benchmark, and the fact that a case study has been carried out on Orkestra brings enormous prestige to the Institute and reinforces its international positioning.

Celebration of the network's anniversary in the Basque Country, in 2023

The MOC has been one of Orkestra's main training activities since its creation, but the course had already been taught at the University of Deusto since 2003. In all these years, more than 450 people from the business world, public institutions and academia have participated in the Microeconomics of Competitiveness programme, contributing to the creation of a common language and a common vision on the competitiveness of the Basque Country and its challenges.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the network, a meeting will be held at the university in 2023 to bring together MOC alumni in the Basque Country to share their experiences and learning from the programme. Information about the event will be available soon on our website.