GOe — the Gastronomy Open Ecosystem — is a 9,000 m² food innovation campus under construction in the Gros neighborhood of Donostia–San Sebastián, spearheaded by the Basque Culinary Center (BCC). Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), GOe integrates research, entrepreneurship, education, public engagement, and sustainable culinary innovation. Once open (October 2025), it will feature eight research kitchens, ten laboratories, a sensory analysis facility, coworking spaces, a 200+ seat auditorium, and an experimental restaurant, becoming a global hub for gastronomy, science, and design.

What is GOe?

Mission & Scope

GOe exists to “contribute to a ‘delicious’ (tasty, healthy, sustainable) future through talent, knowledge, research, and innovation.” It operates at the nexus of gastronomy, technology, research, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, uniting chefs, scientists, startups, researchers, and the public under one roof.

GOe’s Tech Center focuses on transformative projects around health, sustainability, digitalization, sensory innovation, and new product development—advancing the future of gastronomy through multidisciplinary research.

GOe also hosts master’s programs, supports entrepreneurship (through incubators, accelerators, foodtech funds), and engages the public with workshops, community labs, and open innovation initiatives.

Relationship to Basque Culinary Center (BCC)

GOe is the open innovation arm of the Basque Culinary Center—the latter being a pioneering institution hosted by Mondragon University that blends culinary training, research, and R&D in the gastronomic sciences. GOe extends this mission through expanded infrastructure, research capacities, and public entrepreneurship. Source.

Site & Architecture

Location & Urban Context

GOe is located in Gros (Zubiri–Manteo), a vibrant district that bridges the city with natural landscapes like Mount Ulia and the Cantabrian Sea. Its position adjacent to a stretch of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route enhances GOe's role as both a public space and culinary destination.

Architectural Concept

Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group’s “Olatuen bidea – Camino de las Olas” (“Wave Walk”) proposal, GOe evokes the motion of waves — both in structure and experience. The building gently rises from a slope with a 10-meter height difference, preserving the natural park topography while introducing a terraced roof landscape, public plazas, and integrated connections to adjacent green spaces and the pilgrimage route.

Key Spaces & Capacities

According to local reporting, GOe’s facilities will include:

• Eight research/teaching kitchens

• One sensory analysis room

• Ten laboratories (including physical-chemical and microbiology labs)

• Coworking zones (~1,000 m²)

• Company offices and entrepreneurship spaces

• Creativity workshop and audiovisual production studio

• Classrooms and multipurpose kitchens

• Auditorium (capacity >200)

• Experimental restaurant and cantina

Units & Programs Inside GOe

GOe Tech Center

As GOe’s research backbone, the Tech Center drives innovation in health, sustainability, sensory science, digital gastronomy, and product development. It houses infrastructure and experts to support multidisciplinary culinary R&D and collaboration with industry actors. GOe

Entrepreneurship & Ecosystem

GOe fosters startups via incubation, accelerators, “on-the-road” competitions, foodtech funding, mentorship programs, and workspace. Its strategic partnership with CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) expands international entrepreneurship programming, including soft-landing support and global event collaboration. GOeCICCambridge DayAxios

A notable CIC-GOe event, “GOe On the Road,” was held in Cambridge (April 2025), featuring pitch competitions and foodtech dialogue. Venture Café Cambridgebculinary.com

Community & Public Programming

Consistent with its “open ecosystem” vision, GOe invites citizens and industry to participate in co-creation through innovation workshops, events, and “citizen science” labs. It aims to democratize food innovation and make gastronomic science accessible to the public. See the Community Forum.

Research, Innovation & Focus Areas

Lines of Work

GOe positions itself in the following research frontiers:

Focus Area Description

Sustainable Proteins Alternative ingredients for planetary health

Fermentation Next-gen flavor, preservation, function

Food Safety & Quality Novel detection methods, standards

Circular Economy & Waste Valorization, zero-waste systems

Sensory & Consumer Studies Profiling, behavior, emotion

Digital Gastronomy & Automation AI, robotics, smart kitchens

Culinary Creativity Methods Design-thinking in gastronomy

Food Culture & Heritage Ethnographic, culinary anthropology

These align with GOe’s Tech Center priorities and BCC’s broader Gastronomy 360° vision.

Methods & Infrastructure

GOe supports:

• Pilot test kitchens for live experimentation

• A sensory lab for data-driven analysis

• Living-lab approaches engaging users in co-design

• Startup testbeds combining research and enterprise

These provide flexible environments for research, prototyping, and entrepreneurship.

Partnerships & Collaborations

Industry & Institutional Partners

GOe’s global innovation thrust is anchored by its CIC partnership, enabling co-hosted events, international programming, and startup acceleration. GOe is one of CIC’s first food science collaborations across its global campuses. Read More.

Academic Linkages

GOe integrates with BCC's academic ecosystem, enhancing master’s programs in Gastronomic Sciences, Food Design, and Food Fermentation. It also bridges research and innovation with other academic partners (national and international). GOeWikipedia

Impact & KPIs (For Future Updates)

To assess GOe’s success and impact, let’s consider tracking:

• Number of startups launched/incubated

• Annual research projects and publications/patents

• Public event attendance (jornada inaugural, workshops)

• Labs utilization rates & prototypes developed

• Food-waste or sustainability pilot outcomes

• Student and entrepreneur placements

A table will be embedded and updated annually as data becomes available.

How to Engage with GOe

• Visit post-opening: Attend the public inaugural, explore exhibitions, labs, cafes.

• Events: Watch for GOe-hosted symposia, innovation bootcamps, hackathons.

• Calls for startups & researchers: Join acceleration programs or co-design processes.

• Student/interface opportunities: Engage via master's final projects, internships, or practice-led research.

• Stay updated: Visit GOe Official Site and GOe Community pages. GOeGOe Community+1

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GOe part of BCC?
Yes. GOe is BCC’s innovation ecosystem—extending its education, research, and R&D capacity in San Sebastián. fcsi.euWikipedia

What facilities will GOe include?
Eight research kitchens, a sensory analysis lab, ten labs, coworking (∼1000 m²), creativity workshop, audiovisual studio, classrooms, multipurpose kitchens, auditorium (>200 seats), experimental restaurant, and cantina.

When will GOe open?
GOe opens to the public in October 2025 with an inauguration day. A professional/institutional opening will follow.

How can startups collaborate?
Tap into GOe’s entrepreneurship programs—accelerators, incubators, pitch events—and global partnership via CIC. Contact via goe@bculinary.com.

GOe stands to redefine gastronomy as an open, innovative, and collaborative ecosystem. Its architecture, programming, partnerships, and public commitment make it a formidable asset for San Sebastián and the global food innovation landscape. Whether you're a student, entrepreneur, researcher, or policymaker, GOe promises a space where food’s future is co-created, tested, and shared.