Bilbao to host European conference on transcultural competence and diverse teams
Bilbao to host European conference on transcultural competence and diverse teams
Bilbao to host European conference on transcultural competence and diverse teams
On 18 September, Bilbao Berrikuntza Faktoria will bring together professionals, researchers and European organisations to explore how cultural diversity can become a real advantage for teams and organisations
What makes a diverse team truly effective? How can we move beyond simply “managing differences” and create ways of collaborating that make the most of diverse perspectives, experiences and identities?
These will be some of the key questions addressed at “From Research to Practice: Transcultural Competence in Action – ELEVATE Conference”, taking place on 18 September at Bilbao Berrikuntza Faktoria.
The conference marks the closing of the European ELEVATE project, an Erasmus+ initiative developed by partners from several European countries with the aim of researching and creating new tools to develop transcultural competence in work teams.
Unlike traditional intercultural approaches, which focus primarily on understanding differences between national cultures, transcultural competence starts from a reality that is increasingly common in organisations: people simultaneously belong to multiple cultures, groups and identities, and teams need to learn how to recognise and work with this complexity.
Throughout the project, a methodology has been developed and tested that combines team self-awareness, metacognition, trust, identification of common needs and the creation of new collaborative practices, with a strong emphasis on transferring learning into everyday work.
“Diversity creates enormous potential, but that potential is not activated automatically. Teams need to develop the ability to recognise their own patterns, build common ground and turn that awareness into new, concrete ways of working together,” explains Anna Zelno, CEO of intercultures España & LATAM and ELEVATE project partner.
From Research to Practice
The programme will bring together academic and business perspectives, combining presentations with practical workshops in which participants will be able to experience tools developed within the project.
The day will explore topics including transcultural competence, trust and psychological safety, communication patterns in diverse teams and, in particular, one of the issues that remains a challenge for many organisations: how to ensure that what is learned in training translates into sustainable changes in everyday work.
The conference will culminate in a World Café, “From Ideas to Impact”, designed to connect the reflections from the day with concrete actions that participants can take back to their own organisations.
The event is particularly aimed at companies, HR professionals, team leaders, consultants, trainers, researchers and organisations interested in diversity, leadership and new forms of collaboration.
Participation in the conference is free of charge, subject to prior registration.
Date: 18 September 2026
Location: Bilbao Berrikuntza Faktoria, Bilbao
Event: From Research to Practice: Transcultural Competence in Action – ELEVATE Conference
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-research-to-practice-transcultural-competence-in-action-tickets-1995075814467
About ELEVATE
ELEVATE is a European Erasmus+ project focused on the sustainable development of transcultural competence in the workplace. The project connects research and practice and has developed diagnostic, learning and facilitation tools designed to help diverse teams improve their collaboration and transform learning into new working practices.
The project is co-funded by the European Union.
More information about the project: https://elevatecompetences.com/