Barcelona does not only want to attract international talent; it wants the people who arrive in the city to put down roots, integrate and take part in its social and economic life. That was one of the central messages on Wednesday at the 13th edition of the Hola Barcelona! Cocktail, Barcelona Global's annual gathering for international professionals who live and work in the city.
The event, held at the Palau de Pedralbes, brought together more than 1,200 people from 90 countries and all five continents. It connects professionals who have only recently settled in Barcelona with others who have spent years building their lives and careers there.
Barcelona Global's president, Josep Lluís Sanfeliu, called for an open conception of Barcelona identity, arguing that people who choose to live in the city also become part of it. "A Barcelonan is anyone who comes to Barcelona to make this city a better place — working, studying, investing and building a personal or professional life here," he said.
For this talent to settle in Barcelona, Sanfeliu argued, the city needs to address issues such as affordable housing, education, taxation, bureaucracy, connectivity, public services, culture and security. According to the organisation, these are among the factors that determine whether the professionals who arrive end up building a long-term future there.
Josep Lluís Sanfeliu: "Attracting talent is only half the job"
One of the key figures at the event was entrepreneur Dídac Lee, co-founder and Managing Partner of Galdana Ventures, who shared his personal journey and his vision of Barcelona as a city from which to build projects with international ambition.
Lee focused precisely on the need to go beyond simply attracting foreign professionals. "Attracting talent is only half the job for a city," he argued.
He called for a Barcelona where local integration and an international outlook can coexist: "The goal is a Barcelona where nobody has to choose, where you can be local and international at once, and from which you can reach out to the world without having to leave."
Barcelona's mayor, Jaume Collboni, closed the event by stressing that this international community is already part of the city's present. He explained that more than 400,000 Barcelona residents were born abroad and live, work, study or run businesses in the city. "Barcelona is a city open to the world and, at the same time, a city on a human scale, one that wants to grow and innovate without losing what makes it special: its capacity to welcome people, connect them and create opportunities," said Collboni.
Professionals from 90 countries
This year's participants in the Hola Barcelona! Cocktail came mainly from Europe: 79% were European, while 15% were American, 4% Asian, 1.5% African and 0.5% from Oceania. The most represented nationalities were Italian, American, French, British and German, though professionals also came from countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Ukraine, China, Iran and India.
According to Barcelona Global, the typical profile is a university-educated professional working for a local company, particularly in technology, research or healthcare. In many cases, these professionals have moved to Barcelona with their families and, as they build their lives there, their ties to local culture and everyday life deepen too.
The organisation believes this international talent can contribute to Barcelona's economic and social growth, but it also stresses that the city must create the conditions for these people not just to arrive, but to decide to stay.
The Hola Barcelona! Cocktail has become one of the leading gatherings for Barcelona's international community, and this year it once again raised an issue that goes beyond simply attracting professionals: how to turn newcomers into full-fledged Barcelonans and active participants in the city's future.
Add The New Barcelona Post as your preferred Google source for free
Stay informed with the latest news.
