A 22@Network Barcelona headquarters to project itself to the world

This year, 22@ Network Barcelona celebrates 25 years of existence, a quarter of a century for a district that has ceased to be a project to become a consolidated urban reality. There is no better time than the present to look forward again and imagine what this innovation hub should be like in the next 10 years, always with the ambition that this world of constant change demands of us.

Imagining what 22@ Network Barcelona will be like in 10 years requires being aware of everything that has been achieved, thanks to the effort and collaboration of companies, universities and research centers, civil society, and the Barcelona City Council. But it also means understanding the great projection that this district has, even more so considering the potential and commitment of the actors that are part of the ecosystem. One of these dynamic actors and ambassadors, not only of 22@ but also of Barcelona, is clearly the 22@Network Barcelona association, which has been working for more than 20 years to generate synergies between the business world, research and knowledge, and the rest of the city.

In the next 10 years, the role played by the association will continue to be equally or more relevant and, for this reason, it is essential to have solid structures that help organize the complexity of the district, as well as make possible the creation of networks that allow innovation with impact. Thus, I imagine a future with its own office in the heart of 22@, which is much more than a physical headquarters for the association. That it also be a reference space for all those people who make 22@ and the neighborhood continue to vibrate. A space open to everyone where everything that is happening in the district can be valued, under the Made in 22@ seal.

I imagine a space to carry out pilot projects of new technologies, of projects that transform, that make the territory grow and improve, and all of us who are part of it. An active, urban laboratory, where companies, institutions and research centers can experiment and innovate. We are talking about a headquarters that helps identify, communicate and make visible initiatives with their own stamp, that shows the great innovative capacity that our city has, the pride of innovating for and from Barcelona. An environment for technological transfer and the relationship with the world of entrepreneurship, where the Match&Play project can be promoted: a program that seeks to facilitate the connection between large consolidated companies and startups.

But if we think about the future of 22@, we cannot limit ourselves to business or technological activity, because the district is much more than that. It is a neighborhood with great potential that must be able to offer the possibility of working but also living, connecting economic activity with the daily life of the citizens of Sant Martí. To make this possible, it will be essential to work with the administration to achieve a truly vibrant district, with sufficient housing supply, more public spaces, local services and efficient and sustainable mobility. In short, a model committed to the well-being of people.

After the work done during these 25 years, now it is our turn to continue collaborating ---even more than what has already been done--- to make 22@ grow and strengthen it, so as not to be left behind and adapt to new realities. Because doing so is to continue believing in Barcelona's capacity to transform, be a benchmark and lead innovation.