In 2019, the world as we knew it changed. The cause was, as you know, the Coronavirus. A deadly pandemic that affected all of us, in one way or another, and permeated every sector imaginable. There's no need for me to X-ray the situation. You know it well. With the pandemic, lives, jobs, time were lost... It was (and still is) a historical period due to the magnitude of what happened and the consequences we still carry.
At such a moment, it's inevitable to be negative. But after having (almost) overcome it, or at least observing it with a bit more distance, we have no choice but to face the situation. Now we have a blank slate in front of us. And for those who can see it, a tremendous opportunity to rethink the world we want. The Europe we want. The Barcelona we want. It sounds like a cliché, but it's true. After a crisis like this, which has changed everything, we hold in our hands a world that must be rebuilt to function again.
Regarding the economic sector, the good news is that from Barcelona, we face this moment from a very good starting point. For the City Council's Director of City Promotion, Mario Rubert, one of the engines that will help us boost the new economy is foreign talent.
Rubert attended Tuesday's Barcelona Talent-Ed Summit and explained what assets the Catalan capital has to attract this talent. Here are his 4 arguments: 1) We are a small city, yet we offer (almost) all the resources of a large city. Furthermore, unlike Paris or London, our metropolis has multiple advantages. One of them is that wherever you are, the airport is always close. 2) We are very well positioned geographically. 3) The economy is very diversified across different sectors. And 4) The quality of life. Rubert believes that in Barcelona we offer a "life project. It's a city where you can raise your children, develop your career, and retire. What other places can say the same?", he explained, convinced, in front of an audience of a hundred people.
It's a tremendous opportunity to rethink the world we want. The Barcelona we want. After a crisis like this, which has changed everything, we hold in our hands a world that must be rebuilt to function again.The other side of the coin is that we still have a long way to go to compete at our highest level. What do we need to improve on?First, we need to train more professionals in the new technologies sector. It is essential to know what thestartupsin order to be able to offer it to you.Tim Ougeot (Yego) and Marcos Morea (Amenitiz) have said itin theSummitthe same startups can ---and in fact some want to--- offer themselves as an experimentation laboratory, a place to train the professionals of the future. In that sense, apart from offering more specialized training in Barcelona's schools and universities, it is also good to know that we can rely on the verystartups. On new talent, the general director of UPF Barcelona School of Management (UPF-BSM), José M. Martínez Sierra, has also weighed in. In his presentation, he emphasized the need for a portion of these professionals to be women to mitigate the gender gap in the sector.
Another challenge for the future is scalability. We need to make our capital a place where startups can grow large without needing to emigrate. For this, it will be essential for national and international talent to work in a network. Let's not forget, Martínez Sierra recommended, emerging countries. They are also an opportunity to grow the economy. To attract them, it is positive that initiatives like the Welcome Desk are born, a new service designed by the city council for international talents and companies that want to establish themselves in our city.
"Barcelona has the resources of a big city. It is very well positioned geographically. The economy is very diversified and offers a life project to foreign talent. What other places can say the same?"And, finally, we havethe Barcelona Talent-ed Summit. Another possible window to attract talent.In the first edition of this gathering, companies, professionals, and experts met with Barcelona as a common link. This can be a space to meet interesting people from the city, build community, and boost the local economy. Let's take advantage of it.
"The battle for talent between cities and companies will be very important in the coming years. Whoever manages to retain more will win," Rubert stated. It is evident that the Catalan capital offers tangible and intangible elements to attract it; the question is whether it will be able to improve and do so. "I want to enjoy Spanish life," said Michael Page's senior manager, Gizem Baykal, smiling. This is our Hamilton moment to design a new economy that goes beyond seduction and offers the complete plan. Our future is at stake.