Barcelona and the DNA of innovation

Is it possible to innovate and attract talent from Barcelona? This is the question that was posed this week in a new session of Cercle Obert at the headquarters of the Cercle d'Economia. The responsibility for the answer fell this time to Laura Urquizu, CEO of the company Red Points, named in 2020 as one of the hundred global leaders in business transformation by Business Insider and one of the most creative people in Spain by Forbes.

Urquizu was clear: yes, but on the condition that private and public initiatives work in this direction. And this businesswoman warned that now "we cannot rest on our laurels." "Barcelona ---she said--- is synonymous with Innovation, it carries it in its DNA." Until now, she added, innovation had been born from civil society, and not only in the field of technology. This civil society and the city's ability to attract talent have been the keys to success. "For years there has been no better city to undertake," she stated, and highlighted the role of the municipal company Barcelona Activa in this process.

However, Urquizu stressed that now the drive of civil society alone is no longer enough. Government support is necessary, as is the case in countries like Israel, Estonia, and Iceland. In this regard, she pointed out that at the moment "this is not on Barcelona's agenda," something that, in her opinion, should be corrected. Because today, in the world, there is fierce competition to attract talent, and this is a struggle between cities rather than between countries. For this reason, she advocated for an improvement in public-private collaboration, legislating and creating fiscal conditions that attract innovative talent and facilitate investment in startups.

Because today, in the world, there is fierce competition to attract talent, and this is a struggle between cities rather than between countries

The CEO of Red Points claimed that Barcelona must decide which industries it wants to attract and create hubs, because "companies will continue to group together inhubs". No obstante, advirtió de la falta de "perfiles formados" y de que la universidad está "muy lejos" de las empresas innovadoras. En este sentido, dijo echar en falta más "perfiles híbridos", profesionales que combinen habilidades humanísticas con científicas.

Urquizu señaló que nos encontramos en un proceso de "crecimiento postraumático" como consecuencia de la covid. Un momento, añadió, en el que se hace evidente "lo que falta", por lo que es el adecuado para generar oportunidades que cubran estos gaps. Por todo ello, dijo, "después de la covid es un momento ideal para emprender".

La empresaria tiene razón cuando asegura que Barcelona e innovación han sido dos conceptos que siempre han maridado muy bien por diversas circunstancias que van más allá de tan solo la iniciativa de la sociedad civil. La colaboración público-privada se coronó en los Juegos Olímpicos y tuvo mucho recorrido. Era una de las esencias del denominado modelo Barcelona que imitaron ciudades de todo el mundo.

Nadie puede cuestionar que la innovación en todos los campos va a ser una de las claves para la reactivación económica y social. Y eso va asociado a la atracción de talento. Urquizu acierta también cuando dice que esta va a ser una competencia entre las ciudades globales o áreas metropolitanas.

Se innova cuando se ejecuta una invención, lo que permite a las empresas mejorar la calidad de su producción respecto a los competidores y expandir su mercado, lo que deriva en mayores ganancias. Eso, claro, hasta que surge otra innovación que deja obsoleta la anterior. Esto se explica muy bien en el reciente libro El poder de la destrucción creativa, de Philippe Aghion, Céline Antonin y Simon Bunel. El conflicto permanente entre lo viejo y lo nuevo se presenta como un incentivo continuo en el proceso de innovación y crecimiento económico.

Una de las consecuencias de la pandemia es que puede hacer crecer la brecha de la desigualdad en la sociedad, según apuntan los expertos. En este sentido, la innovación actuaría como un agente de movilidad social. Según el citado libro, "los nuevos innovadores reemplazan a los innovadores de ayer". Además, la empresa innovadora en sí misma favorecería el trampolín social al permitir formar y promover a sus empleados, en especial aquellos con menores capacitaciones.

"However, he warned of the lack of "trained profiles" and that the university is "very far" from innovative companies. In this sense, he said he missed more "hybrid profiles," professionals who combine humanistic with scientific skills.

Urquizu pointed out that we are in a process of "post-traumatic growth" as a consequence of COVID. A moment, she added, in which "what is missing" becomes evident, making it the right time to generate opportunities that cover these gaps. For all these reasons, she said, "after COVID is an ideal time to undertake."

The businesswoman is right when she asserts that Barcelona and innovation have always been two concepts that have married very well due to various circumstances that go beyond just the initiative of civil society. Public-private collaboration was crowned at the Olympic Games and had a long journey. It was one of the essences of the so-called Barcelona model that cities around the world imitated.

No one can question that innovation in all fields will be one of the keys to economic and social reactivation. And that is associated with attracting talent. Urquizu is also right when she says that this will be a competition among global cities or metropolitan areas.

Innovation occurs when an invention is executed, which allows companies to improve the quality of their production compared to competitors and expand their market, leading to greater profits. That, of course, until another innovation emerges that renders the previous one obsolete. This is very well explained in the recent book The Power of Creative Destruction, by Philippe Aghion, Céline Antonin, and Simon Bunel. The permanent conflict between the old and the new is presented as a continuous incentive in the process of innovation and economic growth.

One of the consequences of the pandemic is that it can widen the inequality gap in society, according to experts. In this sense, innovation would act as an agent of social mobility. According to the aforementioned book, "new innovators replace yesterday's innovators." Furthermore, the innovative company itself would favor social mobility by allowing its employees, especially those with fewer qualifications, to be trained and promoted.

"

In any case, Barcelona has everything in its favor to be one of the capitals of innovation. We just need to create the conditions for it to be one of the priorities on the city's public and private agenda.