Speakers

Miren Arzalluz Loroño (Bilbao, 1978) has served as Director General of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao since April 2025. She holds a PhD in History from the University of Deusto, an MA in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute of Art, and an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics.

Before taking up her current position, she served for seven years as Director of the Palais Galliera–Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, where she led an ambitious renovation and expansion project that marked a new chapter in the institution’s history.

Her distinctions include being named Chevalière de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2024 and receiving the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts from Spain’s Ministry of Culture in 2025.

Jordi Baltà Portolés works as a researcher, consultant and trainer in the fields of cultural policy, sustainability and international relations. His work focuses particularly on cultural diversity, local cultural policies, cultural rights, and the intersection between culture and sustainability.

He is an advisor to the Committee on Culture of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). Since 2011, he has been a member of UNESCO’s Expert Facility for the implementation of the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. In this capacity, he was the lead editor of the 2022 and 2026 editions of the report Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity.

For the 2025–2029 period, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Barcelona Culture Council, a body that facilitates civil society participation in the city’s cultural policies. He regularly collaborates with other organisations, including Trànsit Projectes and the international cultural mobility network On the Move.

Between 2001 and 2014, he worked as a researcher and project coordinator at the Interarts Foundation. He is an adjunct lecturer on the Master’s Degree in Cultural Management at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya and the University of Girona, and regularly contributes to other university courses. He holds a PhD in cultural policy from the Universities of Girona and Melbourne.

Luca Dal Pozzolo, 1956, Architect, co-funder and responsible for Research of Fitzcarraldo Foundation: from 1998 until 2025 Director of Piedmont Cultural Observatory. He has been teaching at Politecnico Torino and in the University of Bologna. From 2019 member of the Scientific Committee of CCW, Cultural Welfare Centre and Member of the Cultural Commission of the European Institute of Design (IED). From 2023 is President of Fitzcarraldo Engineering and designed many museum’s exhibitions and cultural institutions, publishing many articles and books on cultural economics, museums and Heritage, among them Esercizi di sguardo, 2019, and Il patrimonio culturale tra memoria, lockdown e futuro, 2021. Director of the book series Geografie Culturali, for the Italian publisher Editrice Bibliografica. 

Cristina de la Cruz, Associate Professor of Philosophy, conducts her research at the University of Deusto, where she explores the intersection between political philosophy and human rights. Throughout her career, she has also undertaken extensive work in the fields of philosophy and poetry, combining conceptual reflection with literary creation. Her academic work examines the boundaries of justice, bioethics and mechanisms of exclusion, with particular attention to economic justice. Her research reflects a strong interest in exploring the complexity of concepts such as responsibility, deliberation, compassion and inequality. Following a distinguished career devoted to research and critical thought, she has established herself as a leading expert in the ethical and humanistic interpretation of the structural challenges that shape our society. 

He earned his law degree from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM). He pursued postgraduate studies at the specialization and master’s levels in Constitutional and Administrative Law and holds a PhD in Law from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), where he graduated with honors. He serves as legal counsel to several civil associations related to culture. In the public sector, he has worked at the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura, the Secretaría de Cultura, and the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. He is currently a partner at the law firm Vicencio Tovar y Asociados.

Francisco Javier is currently full-time professor at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana. He has delivered lectures at international institutions, including the United Nations and UNESCO. He is the author of Derecho Cultural Mexicano (“Mexican Cultural Law”) and of several legal articles on the same subject published in specialized journals. He has been awarded the University Merit Medal by the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and the Diario de México Award. He is a full member of the Academia Mexicana de Ciencias, Tecnología y Artes and previously served as Coordinator of Legislative Projects at the Academia Mexicana para la Educación, el Derecho y la Cultura. He is also a member of the Asociación Mexicana de Estudios Clásicos and an associate of the Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública.

Ibone Eguia is a predoctoral researcher at Orkestra – Basque Institute of Competitiveness (University of Deusto), where her research focuses on the economic dimension of the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), analysing their role in competitiveness, innovation and territorial development.

Her doctoral thesis examines how CCIs address digital transformation and structural change processes, focusing on innovation dynamics and, in particular, on the role played by innovation intermediaries in these processes.

She has completed a research stay at the University of Turin and has presented her work at international academic forums such as the Microeconomics of Competitiveness Workshop (Harvard Business School), the AIMAC conference and the ACEI Summer School.

She holds a degree in Economics (EHU), a postgraduate qualification in Business Internationalisation (EHU) and a Master’s degree in Cultural Management (UOC). Before beginning her research career, she worked as a market analyst at the Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of Spain in Portugal, as well as a cultural manager at Universal Music Portugal and at the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Spain in Portugal. 

Head of the Basque Observatory of Culture. He previously worked at the Basque Government’s Directorate for the Promotion of Culture and has led the Observatory since 2018, with a brief period in between as Head of the Basque Government’s Library Service. He has specialised training in the transmission of Basque culture from Mondragon University. His professional work focuses on generating and analysing knowledge to support the planning, monitoring and evaluation of cultural policies, promoting studies, indicators and information systems aimed at improving understanding of the cultural ecosystem in the Basque Country. 

Antonio Javier González Rueda holds a PhD in Arts and Humanities (cum laude) from the University of Cádiz and is a researcher in Cultural Studies at INDESS, where his work focuses on cultural management and policies, as well as heritage-making processes in rural areas. He holds a degree in History and a diploma in Library and Information Science from the University of Granada, and has also received specialised training in cultural management.

He is the director of the journal Periférica Internacional (2025 Andalusian Culture Award) and Principal Investigator of the Atalaya Cultural Observatory, where he promotes projects focused on analysis, evaluation and support for cultural management. Throughout his career, he has combined research, teaching and professional practice, with particular attention to the design and evaluation of cultural policies at local and university level.

He has served as Director of the Cultural Activities Service at the University of Cádiz and as Commissioner for its Second Strategic Plan, while also participating in various strategic planning and institutional evaluation processes. He is currently Director of the Coordination Secretariat at the University of Cádiz.

An accredited EFQM evaluator and a member of the SEPIE expert panel, he is the author of publications on literary heritage and cultural policies. 

Javier Iturralde de Bracamonte is a cultural and technology entrepreneur, researcher, and lecturer specializing in artificial intelligence applied to culture, digital transformation, and audience development. He is the co-founder of Nodos y Públicos, an initiative through which he supports institutions, cultural venues, public administrations, and cultural projects in the strategic adoption of AI, data governance, the improvement of internal processes, and decision-making based on useful information.

With more than twenty years of international experience across the United States, Europe, and Latin America, he is regarded as a leading professional in the application of artificial intelligence to the cultural and creative sector. His career combines professional practice, applied research, teaching, and strategic advisory work, with experience connected to institutions and projects such as MoMA, the Bronx Museum, the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, and other organizations within the international cultural ecosystem.

He holds a PhD in Marketing and Communication from the Universitat Politècnica de València, awarded with an industrial doctorate distinction and a cum laude qualification, and is a graduate of Columbia University. He is an adjunct professor at IE University and a visiting professor at the Universitat de Barcelona. His work focuses on translating emerging technologies into practical solutions for cultural managers, public administrations, and creative organizations, always guided by cultural judgment, human oversight, and institutional responsibility.

Degree in Philosophy (University of Deusto), Master’s in Cultural Management, and PhD candidate in Leisure and Human Potential (UD). Her professional career is linked to culture, a field in which she has worked in public administration, at university, and in the private sector. An entrepreneur, consultant, researcher, and cultural manager, her career has given her a broad and in-depth perspective on cultural policies. Connected to the Basque Observatory of Culture since its creation in 2006, she has been part of the team providing technical assistance since 2012 (ICC Consultors). She currently describes herself as a storyteller of culture. She observes, thinks, analyses, writes, and actively participates in the community. 

Edurne Ormazabal Azpiroz is the General Director of Tabakalera, the International Centre for Contemporary Culture in San Sebastián. Since taking up the position in February 2018, she has led the consolidation of the centre as an international benchmark for contemporary creation, thought and culture. Under her executive leadership, Tabakalera has developed a unique cross-disciplinary ecosystem model that successfully connects the visual arts, the audiovisual sector and social innovation, placing citizens and creators at the heart of the institutional project.

Her strategic approach at the helm of the centre is characterised by the promotion of major institutional partnerships and collaboration with prominent organisations and professionals in the fields of science and technology. This has helped strengthen cultural production and expand the centre’s international reach. Her management has prioritised attracting new audiences and bringing them closer to contemporary creation, transforming the centre into a vibrant hub for cultural exchange that responds to the changes taking place in today’s society.

This solid track record in cultural management is underpinned by more than two decades of distinguished experience in the media and cultural industries. Ormazabal has held senior management and leadership positions within the Basque public broadcasting group EiTB. There, she led the organisation’s digital transformation and corporate strategy as head of EiTBNet, managed the music radio station Gaztea and served as Commercial Director of the entire multimedia group, consistently combining a journalistic perspective with high-level executive management. 

Marta Peirano is an analyst and writer specialising in technology and power. She is the author of El rival de Prometeo (2011), a pioneering essay on automata and artificial intelligence; El pequeño libro rojo del activista en la red (2015), with a foreword by Edward Snowden; El enemigo conoce el sistema (2019), a bestselling book on surveillance capitalism; Contra el futuro (2022), an incisive critique of technological promises in the face of the climate crisis; and (re)programming (2022), a collection of conversations on AI and political alternatives to collapse. She is a columnist for El País and Spanish National Radio. 

Horacio Umpiérrez Sánchez holds a degree in Art History and is one of the leading figures in cultural management in the Canary Islands, with more than three decades of experience in the design and development of cultural policies and in the public management of heritage. He is currently Deputy Minister for Culture and Cultural Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands.

Originally from Fuerteventura, he began his career as a cultural officer at the Island Council in the 1980s. Between 1995 and 1999, he served as Director General for Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands, promoting key initiatives for the consolidation of regional cultural policies.

A career civil servant at the Fuerteventura Island Council since 1990, he has held positions such as Head of the Culture Department, Managing Director of the Fuerteventura Conference Centre, Director of the Juan Ismael Art Centre, technical coordinator of the island’s Network of Museums and Centres, and of the Fuerteventura Film Commission.

Committed to the professionalisation of the sector, he is a founding member of the Professional Association of Cultural Management of the Canary Islands and has participated in various cultural planning and advisory bodies. He is currently a member of regional and national organisations such as the Board of Trustees of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the Canary Islands Council for Culture, the Canary Islands Historical Heritage Council, and the Canary Islands Institute for Cultural Development, contributing to the strengthening and modernisation of public cultural management in the archipelago. 

Josean Urdangarin is the head of unit of CCIs in the Direction of Cultural Promotion and Cultural and Creative Industries, in the Basque Government’s Department of Culture and Language Policy. The holder of a degree in Basque Philology, he worked as a manager and head of Language Planning from 1989 to 2002, engaged in the fields of qualitative and quantitative research and areas related to status planning for the Basque language. Thereafter, he became involved in the work of drafting and developing cultural policies in Euskal Herria (Basque Plan for Culture). At present, his fields of activity are related to the development of strategies for the Cultural and Creative Industries Policies in the Basque Country.