Leire Balzategui, City of Vitoria-Gasteiz

Meet Leire Balzategui – Nominated by Vitoria Mobility Lab

Connecting innovation and public service

Leire Balzategui is the Innovation Manager at the Mobility Lab in Vitoria-Gasteiz, a role she has held since the Lab’s creation in May 2023. With a background in civil engineering and a Master’s in transport planning from the University of Leeds, she brings experience in transport modelling, mobility planning and innovation management.

“I’m passionate about shaping more sustainable and people-centred cities through mobility and technology,” she said.

At the Mobility Lab, Leire coordinates collaborative innovation projects that test new solutions in real-world settings.  

“I’m responsible for promoting and energising the Lab – activating pilot projects, facilitating access to resources and building the ecosystem around mobility and logistics innovation,” she said.  

Accelerating sustainable transformation

Leire leads two core initiatives – a regulatory sandbox with eight experimentation spaces and the development of a Mobility & Logistics Data Space.  

These efforts support Vitoria-Gasteiz’s broader commitment to low-emission, inclusive and compact urban mobility.

“Mobility here is not just about efficiency. It’s about improving well-being, accessibility and the quality of our city’s public space,” she said.

She is also contributing to the city’s updated Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan and leading two European projects – one piloting bidirectional charging infrastructure and another focused on managing winter road conditions through data sharing.

Leadership for long-term change

Leire joined the Emerging Leaders program to grow her leadership capacity in public innovation.  

“In our work, we often lead without direct authority – bringing together diverse actors and navigating complex systems. This program gives us space to reflect, learn from peers and strengthen the mindset needed to lead collaboratively,” she said.

She values the program’s focus on coaching, real-world leadership dilemmas and the chance to engage in high-level forums.  

“It’s more than a leadership course – it’s a community of practice that helps us grow the confidence, tools and networks to drive change.”

For Leire, leadership today is not about having all the answers. “It’s about creating the conditions for learning, experimentation and collective progress.”