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uring the inauguration of this disruptive hybrid and 100% professional event, Pere Navarro, special delegate of the state in the Consorci de la Zona Franca (CZFB), has assured that BNEW emerges from the heart of Barcelona to the world, positioning the city as the spearhead of innovation and digitalization in Southern Europe. With participants from more than 100 different countries, Blanca Sorigué, general director of the CZFB, highlighted that this "will be one of the most international events held in Barcelona."
Similarly, Navarro stressed that the congress has been planned based on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) to thus claim solutions to the challenges society faces. Thus, the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, has assured that the Covid-19 crisis must serve "as an opportunity to move towards a more sustainable and resilient economic model" and has underlined the importance of working for this with the business fabric.
Along the same lines, the Government delegate in Catalonia, Teresa Cunillera, affirmed that BNEW can be the event that serves to show that "people must be at the center of the economy."
For this reason, Navarro has encouraged the 9,000 participants to interact on the event's digital platform with the aim of generating new economic synergies. In this sense, the Secretary of Business and Competitiveness of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Joaquim Ferrer, welcomed the fact that events such as BNEW "respond to the opportunities" in terms of innovation and digitalization that are being created during this crisis.
Until next Friday, BNEW will generate some 160 hours of television in which debates, inspirational talks, and panels will be held with the aim of promoting networking and generating economic opportunities among the thousands of registered participants. The event, organized by the CZFB, has a budget of two million euros and has generated more than 500 direct and indirect jobs.