José Antonio Jainaga has been awarded the Joxe Mari Korta 2025 Award in recognition of his professional career and his commitment to industrial excellence, business roots, innovation and the creation of quality employment.
The Lehendakari, Imanol Pradales, accompanied by the Regional Minister of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, Mikel Jauregi, presented the award to José Antonio Jainaga, unanimously nominated by the business associations CONFEBASK, SEA, CEBEK, and ADEGI, as well as by the Korta Family.
The event, held in the gardens of the Miramar Palace in Donostia, was attended by more than 150 representatives from the business and institutional spheres of the Basque Country.
The Lehendakari thanked José Antonio Jainaga for the commitment he has demonstrated throughout his extensive career, which reflects a Basque model “that values those who step forward, take risks, and invest. Who assume responsibility and pressure. Who make their lives difficult to launch a business project. And who, in doing so, create future opportunities for others. Who generate wealth, employment and social cohesion, and sustain quality public services.”
In his speech, Jainaga emphasized that “I have spent my life working in the industry. I could certainly have done so in other sectors, but I am incredibly happy to have done so in the industry, to be part of those people who transform materials to make other people’s lives easier.” He added that “in these years, we have invested more than €260 million in industrial facilities, which makes Sidenor a leading company in its sector. Furthermore, we wanted to contribute to mitigating the three fundamental shortcomings that a large part of Basque companies suffer from: succession, size, and roots.”
Regarding the creation of Mirai, the industrial corporation he founded, he noted, “I believe this is how we respond to some of the chronic problems of our industrial fabric: the lack of succession in many family businesses; and, as a consequence, the difficulty in anchoring them in the region and their insufficient size, which prevents them from expanding internationally, professionalizing management, and effectively developing innovation processes. We certainly consider ourselves the alternative to venture capital funds, which exhibit a strong commitment to the country while announcing that the first commandment of their religion obliges them to sell back acquired companies after four or five years. Since we created Mirai in 2019, we have acquired 21 companies, mostly Basque, where more than 1,200 people are working.”
Finally, Jainaga noted that “they say you can travel alone and quickly if you go close, but if you go far and want to reach your destination, you have to be accompanied. I want to thank the team that has supported me over all these years, those people, many of them extraordinary, who have followed me unconditionally at all times. It has been a long journey that has filled me with satisfaction and in which I have tried to give back to society, at least, a small part of what I have received from it.
Of course, the journey has been long, but it is far from over. I hope this train still has many miles to go. A hug to everyone.”