IKERLANs HARIRA podcast will premiere its second season today, June 4th, focusing on current topics in technology and industry. This year, for the first time, guests from outside IKERLAN will also participate in the episodes, bringing new perspectives and experiences to the table. The new season will once again be hosted by researcher and presenter Mikel Segura.

In this second season, topics such as artificial intelligence, collaborative robotics, the role of women in technology, industrial talent, and the place of Euskera in innovation will be addressed through conversations between experts from IKERLAN and industry leaders.

The first session will focus on women's presence in technology, technological talent, and the necessary skills for innovation. To do so, Haizea Gaztañaga, head of the energy storage and management group at IKERLAN, and Iraia Monteagudo, director of INNOLAB Bilbao, will participate, along with Segura.

In July, Karlos Calleja, head of the control and robotics group at IKERLAN, and Leire Balzategui, director of Robotekin, will analyze the state of collaborative robotics, reflecting on the competitiveness of the Basque industry, safety, and the collaboration between people and machines.

In the September issue, Marco Gonzalez, head of artificial intelligence and data at IKERLAN, and Laura Marrón, director at BAIC, will discuss the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence: the future of the Basque industry, SME access, and the reliability of the technology, among other topics.

The second season of HARIRA will conclude in October with a conversation between Xabi Sagartzazu, director of the energy and mechatronics unit at IKERLAN, and Pilar Kaltzada, founder of EnpresaBIDEA. They will discuss the place of Euskera in industry and innovation, the combination of global talent and the local language, and the use of the language in the economic and technological fields.

Mikel Segura is enthusiastic about the new challenge: "the goal is not just to talk about technology, but to bring to the table the people, challenges, and opportunities behind that technology. In the first season, we saw that there was interest in relaxed and in-depth conversations about technology. This year, adding outside voices has enriched the format and brought us complementary perspectives."

All episodes will be available on IKERLAN's YouTube and Spotify channels.

The HARIRA podcast will have external guests for the first time to discuss current topics on technological innovation.