Barcelona Global: "We can lift the city through public-private collaboration"

Barcelona Global made a balance this Friday of the year that is about to end at its annual meeting on the occasion of Christmas and presented the strategic lines it will develop in 2023 to promote Barcelona as a leading city in the world of investment, business and impact talent. It was the first major event that was attended by the new general director of the entity, Mercè Conesa, who vehemently claimed the need to forge alliances and bet as much as possible on public-private collaboration. "We can lift the city from public-private collaboration; it is the instrument to achieve maximum effectiveness and efficiency," Conesa emphasized.

The Barcelona on the Global Map meeting brought together 350 partners at the Disseny Hub of Barcelona, including members of the International Council, a network of Barcelonians who live and work abroad. Taking advantage of their Christmas holidays in Barcelona, about fifty of these partners spread throughout the world met previously with the leaders of Barcelona Global to learn first-hand about all the achievements obtained this year 2022, with the America's Cup as the main standard, along with the approval in Congress this same month of December of the Startup Law largely promoted by the association.

During her speech, the president of Barcelona Global, Maite Barrera, highlighted that the Government has decided to declare the America's Cup as an event of exceptional public interest, which is the result of this vocation to add, forge alliances from civil society and collaborate closely with administrations. She also recalled that this year the entity has presented its project on the new Mobility model for Barcelona and its metropolitan area; and that the first promotion of the Industrial Technologies and Economic Analysis degree at UPF-UPC has graduated, studies promoted by the association. In addition, the fourth promotion of Barcelona 2040, the leadership and city program for young talent, has been launched.

"Barcelona Global has to be focused on attracting and retaining talent, because it is talent that makes societies grow positively. But not just any talent, but impact talent, talent that is not selfish, that helps drive economic progress, generates jobs with its activity and cares about the environmental footprint and inclusion. This is the talent that Barcelona wants," Barrera affirmed in his speech to the partners.

On this balance day, the focus was also placed on the results achieved by Barcelona & Partners, Barcelona Global's investment attraction agency, which has contributed to some nine companies choosing the Catalan capital to set up or expand their digital hubs. "To achieve that foreign investment that generates economic impact and contributes to the transformation of the city, talent is key, and it is at the center of everything," explained the director of Barcelona & Partners, Montse Puig.

According to Puig, not only should taxation continue to be improved and other measures adopted for attracting external talent, but "we must create an environment to encourage local talent to develop." Puig highlighted that Barcelona has very relevant ecosystems and assets in certain sectors in which the city can be a winner in attracting international investments, such as life sciences, mobility, and video games. "We must focus on attracting both scale-ups and innovation and digitalization hubs of large corporations," she pointed out.

For 2023, the director of Barcelona & Partners asked the entity's partners to ask themselves "what each of us can do for our city." "We can all contribute; we can all be ambassadors of Barcelona in the world and thus ensure that Barcelona is always on the table when making decisions," she added.

For her part, Mercè Conesa has pointed out that initiatives such as the Ciutadella del Coneixement, the Campus Besòs or the Tres Chimeneas project will be decisive in this commitment to attracting talent. "Talent attracts more talent and a virtuous circle is generated. I believe this can really happen in Barcelona," she reflected. She also called for valuing and being proud of other great assets the city has, such as its "high level of gastronomic excellence," or the Barcelona of design and culture. "My wish for 2023 is that we ask ourselves the right questions to detect opportunities and know how to convert these opportunities into facts and realities," Conesa concluded.

"Talent attracts more talent and a virtuous circle is generated. I believe this can really happen in Barcelona," Mercè Conesa

"From Los Angeles, the vision of Barcelona is very positive, but they focus more on the lifestyle than on thinking that the city could generate a job opportunity for them," Vilanova explained. "It's common that when you say you're from Barcelona, they ask you what you're doing here then, why aren't you in your city," Chiazza added, referring to the good image Barcelona has as an ideal place to live and also as a preferred destination "for party tourism and not so much for professional matters." Along the same lines, Frigola, who lives in Rochester (Minnesota), assures that Barcelona is, without a doubt, one of the three global cities that his American neighbors always want to visit. "I spend the day acting as a tour guide and making recommendations to them," he quipped.