Just five years ago, Barcelona was languishing in its international positioning. Despite being considered one of the new global capitals, political polarization, the lack of internal city consensus, and above all the reputational impact of the Procés meant that it had lost part of its dynamism, attractiveness, and reputation. A boost was needed to rebuild complicities, raise the city's pride, and identify new levers on which to build a bold and attractive new city narrative. Levers that would once again attract major events and fairs, talent, quality tourism, and investments. Barcelona needed to recover its image as a vibrant and dynamic metropolis.
The city's progressive government knew that a new competitive economic agenda had to be projected, incorporating sustainability and equity as indispensable vectors of the Barcelona model. The team of today's mayor, Jaume Collboni, decided to give new impetus to its economic agenda with the ambition of being a reference city with the Barcelona Green Deal. A growth strategy that aimed to constitute a new roadmap, betting on the economy of sustainability and innovation, opting for intelligent specialization mainly structured around the digital and green sectors.
On this path, one of the most interesting initiatives has been the determined commitment to the blue economy. A different look at our sea that goes far beyond its beaches or the Port of Barcelona as an economic and tourist hub. Barcelona vowed to turn the coastline into a great strategic infrastructure at the service of the city and a new vector for job creation, economic and social development. The commitment to the blue economy also had to be a modernizing and structuring axis of the coastline, favoring and accelerating the transformation of the Olympic Port, promoting innovation, sustainability, and entrepreneurship in new blue activity niches.
A commitment that is based on important assets already existing on the city's coastline, such as the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM)-CSIC, the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), the Mediterranean Center for Marine and Environmental Research (CMIMA), or the Barcelona Nautical Cluster. Institutions and initiatives that make up the Barcelona Innovation Coast through public-private initiatives and alliances that are leading research in innovative projects in areas such as the decarbonization of the nautical sector, the commitment to wind energy or marine biotechnology, and the application of artificial intelligence to marine ecosystems.
Thirty years after the city opened up to the sea thanks to the 1992 Olympic Games, we are rediscovering the sea, reconciling economy, development, and sustainability. A new relationship between the city and the sea that has quickly positioned Barcelona as one of the world capitals of the so-called blue economy. The city's ability to attract international events and initiatives has led to the arrival of top-level events such as the international Sea Food Expo, the world's leading seafood fair, or the establishment in Barcelona of the World Ocean Council, the main international business organization whose objective is to promote the maritime economy, or the celebration of the UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference 2024.
"Thirty years after the city opened up to the sea thanks to the Olympic Games, we are rediscovering the sea, reconciling economy, development, and sustainability"However, the most relevant action in terms of international notoriety has been the choice of Barcelona for the celebration of the 37th edition of the America's Cup. An event that is much more than a sports competition, and although it does not enjoy a great tradition in our country, it is above all a technological and human challenge, as well as a great global visibility showcase that reinforces Barcelona's positioning and brand.
In short, Barcelona's success and recognition as the world capital of the blue economy is perhaps surprising, and one of the best news of recent years, which is why we must give it visibility and recognition. This is due to the combination of factors such as its strategic location, a successful approach to technological innovation, institutional commitment to green and blue sustainability, and the ability to articulate collaborations between the public and private sectors. In just a few years, Barcelona has managed to leverage its maritime environment and its city assets to become a global benchmark in sustainable development and in the creation of new economic opportunities linked to the sea, and to lead the transition towards a blue and sustainable future. This is no small feat, and we should take advantage of this experience to build new exciting and transformative projects in the city that reconcile competitiveness, sustainability, and equity.