The New Barcelona Post talks this month with Victor Garcia, one of the participants in Barcelona Global's leadership and city program, Barcelona 2040. Garcia is vice president of Internal Audit & Risk Management at Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals for the textile and packaging sectors.
The objective of this series of interviews is for this new generation of leaders to share their vision of the Barcelona of the future they aspire to, as well as their impact proposals for the improvement of the city.
--- What do you expect from Barcelona in 2040?
--- Barcelona must leverage its multiple strengths to position itself in a way that allows it to adapt to the intense changes the world is undergoing. As part of the management team of a multinational with a presence in more than 40 countries, I have not yet met anyone who doesn't envy me for living here; let's create the conditions for them to come and develop their talent in Barcelona.
--- Which city would you compare Barcelona to?
--- It is very difficult to find a city that has a similar combination of quality of life and professional opportunities. In my opinion, Barcelona should not compare itself to anyone, but rather build its own profile that differentiates it from the rest to attract the best talent and provide them with the adequate ecosystem to grow and generate opportunities for Barcelonians.
--- What city model do you think Barcelona should resemble?
--- The successful models that have worked so far will not necessarily do so in the future. Therefore, I believe that Barcelona should enhance the strengths that consistently place it in the highest positions in the "best cities to live" rankings, while we work to generate the necessary ecosystem for it to also be among the "best cities to invest" rankings.
--- What is the main challenge Barcelona must solve in the coming years?
--- To combine the transformation of the productive model towards a high value-added industry with the ability to maintain and enhance the quality of life for Barcelonians. And there are multiple facets within that challenge: from the perspective of quality of life, we must provide a response to future mobility, access to housing, and low birth rates; but we must also encourage the necessary investments so that the city's infrastructure and connectivity allow for the development of new industries.
--- What do you think should be the role of new generations and their involvement in the city's development?
--- I believe that young people have an essential role in the transformation of the city. In the midst of a new industrial revolution, with data and artificial intelligence at its core, young talent can provide that new, digitally native perspective to imagine future solutions. The participation of young people in defining the city model we want to build as a society should also bring ideas that break with short-termism and shape the city we want to live in by 2040.
--- Which business sectors do you think Barcelona should bet on?
--- I'm not revealing anything new by saying that the key to Barcelona's future development is greater productivity, which will allow us to achieve better wealth generation and distribution that results in the quality of life that defines it. To compete in a world that is still globalized, in a way that allows us to take advantage of the wave of relocation that is beginning to emerge, we must be able to offer a knowledge-based economy. As an engineer, I believe that STEM talent will be key to this. Barcelona cannot and should not compete on labor costs, but on the generation of value that only the best talent can provide. We have the best city for that talent to choose to live here, so we must ensure that their professional and personal development can take place in Barcelona.