Historical overview

Many major milestones have followed on from each other since Don José María Arizmendiarrieta opened the Professional College in 1943. These milestones have transcended the local community and gone on to play a part in building the Basque Country that we now know today.
 
Its mission is based on the premise that "Education is the natural and essential cornerstone for building a new social order that is both humane and just.". According to this premise, it organised numerous cultural and sporting activities and encouraged some students at the Professional College to continue their education, until in 1952 the first industrial surveyors graduated in Zaragoza.
 
In 1956, some of them set up Ulgor, the first industrial cooperative. TACI was incorporated in 1957, and is now Fagor Arrasate. The cooperative savings bank Caja Laboral Popular was founded in 1959, signalling the start of a long line of cooperative experiences, including, among others, Copreci, Ederlan and Lana in 1962, Fagor Electrónica in 1965, Alecop in 1966, Lagun Aro in 1967, and Ikerlan in 1974. Some of them emerged directly from the Professional College