Bilbao will host Gem Global report launch 2024-2025 and annual international meeting

The GEM 2024/2025 Global Report, recognized as the most credible source of data related to global entrepreneurship, will be launched in Bilbao, Spain this upcoming February. This iconic “State of the Art” report on entrepreneurship in the world will be unveiled at the University of Deusto and the University of the Basque Country, hosted by GEM Spain and GEM Basque Country, with the support of a number of high profile sponsors.

In addition to being an important country for entrepreneurship in Europe, GEM Spain is also the most developed ecosystem network among all GEM Teams. In Spain, there are 27 GEM regional teams, thus enabling policymakers to leverage analysis on entrepreneurship in every Spanish region and even some sub-regions.

GEM Executive Director Aileen Ionescu-Somers and GEM Operations Manager Aurea Almanso visited Bilbao in mid-July to meet with local organizers and researchers and plan the logistics for this high-profile event.

“It was inspiring to see the dynamic entrepreneurial spirit of Bilbao and the report launch will no doubt be a great showcase for the region,” Ionescu-Somers stated. “GEM Spain has been doing exceptional work for close to 25 years and is a terrific example for how a GEM Team can impact entrepreneurship nationally and regionally. The launch event will be a great opportunity to bring together the GEM community and the many stakeholders involved in Spain’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

The Report Launch will be attended by some 300 people, including academics from GEM Teams throughout the world, policymakers, and a number of entrepreneurs and other stakeholders involved in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Spain, Bilbao, Bizkaia and the Basque Country. In addition to the report launch, the GEM Annual General Meeting will also take place.

«We are proud to host the GEM community in Bilbao and to celebrate the GEM Spain 25th anniversary,» said Ana Fernández Laviada, president of GEM Spain.

«It is a great opportunity to show the strengths of Bilbao and the Basque Country, and to learn from one another,» added Maria Saiz Santos, GEM Basque Country Executive Director.

The GEM gala dinner will take place at the prestigious Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (pictured). All the events are close in proximity – the majority being within walking distance of each other – and will take place between 17 – 19 February 2025.

GEM Global Reports
GEM is the only global research source that collects data on entrepreneurship directly from the source – individual entrepreneurs. The data relates to the characteristics, motivations, ambitions and social attitudes of these entrepreneurs. Some 140,000 individuals are surveyed each year and the Global Report highlights the findings.

The Global Report also features GEM’s National Entrepreneurship Context Index (NECI) which evaluates the entrepreneurial context of a particular economy. Results are based on the scores provided by national experts to a set of Entrepreneurial Framework Conditions for each GEM participating economy in a given year. The index is an invaluable tool for benchmarking against other entrepreneurial frameworks, either regionally or globally.

Over the past quarter century, the GEM Global Report has delved into how entrepreneurship has been impacted by major events such as the 2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine. GEM also explores new topics relevant for the times. For example, the GEM 2023/2024 Global Report provided analysis on how entrepreneurship impacts the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Global Report authorship consist of experts from the consortium of some 400 researchers. Close to 60 GEM National Teams will be involved in the 2024/2025 Global Report.

GEM Launch Events

Over the years, GEM Global Report launch events have been held at different cities around the world. Most recently, the launch was hosted by GEM Morocco. In 2023, GEM Switzerland hosted the event at the School of Management Fribourg (HEG-FR) while in 2022 the launch was in Dubai, hosted by the UAE Ministry of Economy and GEM UAE at the Expo 2020.

Key audiences that engage with this prestigious event include policymakers in the region, academic researchers, decision-makers at international organizations, entrepreneurs, journalists and other entities that are most relevant to the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the host country.

The 2025 GEM Annual Meeting and Global Report Launch event is sponsored by the Bilbao City Council – Bilbao City Council, Diputacion Foral de Bizkaia, Eusko Jaurlaritza – Gobierno Vasco (through the SPRI Group) and the Observatory of Entrepreneurship of the Basque Country, EEB-OVE. If you are interested in learning more about sponsoring the event, you can contact GEM Spain President Ana Fernández Laviada (presidencia@gem-spain.com).

Watch welcome video from Ana Fernández Laviada and Maria Saiz Santos: