The transition towards a more sustainable industry increasingly depends on integrating circular economy and decarbonization solutions into production processes. In this context, Global Dominion Environment (GDE) was created, the new division of the Dominion group that has recently joined the network of partner organizations of the Basque Innovation Agency.
In this interview published in Innobasque magazine, Asier Arondo, Director of GDE, discusses the strategic role of this new area, the sector’s growth potential, and the importance of innovation and collaboration in accelerating industrial transformation.
How does the creation of Global Dominion Environment (GDE) fit into Dominion’s strategy? What role will this new division play in the company’s strategic plan?
The creation of Global Dominion Environment, together with Global Dominion Tech-Energy (GDT), stems from a strategic reflection: simplifying Dominion’s structure to better explain what we do, where we add value, and to allow each activity to grow with a clear focus.
GDE arises from the decision to bring together all activities related to industrial sustainability into a single area—namely infrastructures and services linked to decarbonization and the circular economy—where our clients are increasingly seeking our support. It is a natural evolution of our long-standing experience in the environmental field, now with a more integrated and recognizable approach for clients, investors, and other stakeholders.
This reorganization is part of the 2023–2026 Strategic Plan, which is built around sustainability, simplification, and recurrence. In this context, GDE plays a clearly strategic role and has the potential to become the fastest-growing area within DOMINION. We are committed to both organic growth and expansion through acquisitions and partnerships. It is expected to generate half of the group’s profit and to position DOMINION as a leading industrial partner in sustainability and circular economy in Europe, with a clearly global ambition supported by our international presence.
What are its main areas of activity? What sustainability solutions does it already offer? Who are they aimed at? In which activities and geographies is it already present?
Global Dominion Environment has a clear focus on circular economy and decarbonization. Its goal is to help industry reduce its environmental impact without compromising efficiency or safety.
In the field of circular economy, it works on the recovery and revalorization of raw materials and industrial resources, such as hydrocarbon recovery, treatment of contaminated water for reuse, and the revalorization of solvents and other industrial by-products—reintroducing them into production processes and reducing waste generation.
In decarbonization, GDE develops solutions that improve the energy efficiency of industrial processes and reduce emissions over the long term. One example is the optimization of industrial furnaces using high-efficiency refractory materials, or the conversion from gas-powered to electric furnaces, which enhances thermal performance, extends asset lifespan, and reduces environmental impact.
These solutions are mainly aimed at large industrial clients, particularly in sectors such as petrochemical, energy, and waste-to-energy. GDE already operates across multiple geographies, with a strong presence in several European countries, as well as South America, the United States, the Middle East, Australia, and India, leveraging DOMINION’s global footprint.
What role should innovation play in the circular economy? Is the industrial sector giving it the importance it deserves in line with European regulatory demands, or is it being overshadowed by the boom of new technologies? Could the creation of major reference players like GDE be the boost the sector needs, given its current fragmentation?
Innovation—always understood in a practical and applied way—must play a central role in the circular economy and in industrial processes more broadly. In this context, innovation is less about developing disruptive technologies in laboratories and more about turning existing solutions into safe, efficient, and scalable industrial processes.
Innovation also involves anticipating regulation and helping industries translate it into real solutions that do not compromise competitiveness or profitability.
We also see innovation as an open process. Through our BQUO program, we support startups and talent focused on circular economy and decarbonization, incorporating external ideas that can become applicable industrial solutions within DOMINION.
At GDE, many of our innovations lie in areas such as the automation of critical processes, the development of proprietary equipment, emissions measurement and certification, and the robotization of high-risk tasks—connecting environmental sustainability with safety and social sustainability. The creation of strong reference players like GDE is undoubtedly part of the solution for a still highly fragmented sector. Consolidation enables investment in innovation, professionalization of standards, scaling of best practices, and offering industrial clients a single, reliable partner with a long-term vision.
Why is the link with the Basque Innovation Agency important for GDE?
For us, innovation is not an individual or isolated effort, but a collaborative process that connects business, industry, technology, and knowledge. In this sense, our link with the Basque Innovation Agency is especially relevant.
Innobasque represents a benchmark ecosystem that promotes a vision of innovation closely aligned with that of DOMINION: practical, industrial, impact-driven, and with a strong long-term perspective. We share the belief that innovation should solve real problems, improve industrial competitiveness, and accelerate the transition towards more sustainable models.
Moreover, for a company like DOMINION—with its origins in the Basque Country and a global outlook—being part of this ecosystem allows us to anticipate regulatory and technological trends, share knowledge, and continue developing key talent and capabilities for industrial transformation.
Our relationship with Innobasque also reinforces our conviction that sustainability and innovation are not ends in themselves, but powerful levers to build a more efficient, safe, and responsible industry—from the Basque Country to the rest of the world.
