The associations of the digital business fabric Tech Barcelona and Adigital (Spanish Association of the Digital Economy) have initiated a collaboration to combine efforts and contribute to improving the weight of the digital economy in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The starting point is the 22% impact that the digital ecosystem has on Spain's overall GDP, with 2020 data from the report Digital Economy in Spain, prepared by Adigital and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The goal will be to double it, reaching 40% of GDP, by 2030.
To this end, both entities will work to influence public policies at the level of the European Union, Spain, Catalonia, and Barcelona, that promote the digitalization of the economy, especially SMEs, as a way to increase their competitiveness, and of the economy as a whole. Another purpose of this alliance is to share knowledge dynamics about the entrepreneurial ecosystem, to get closer to reality and stop depending on studies and data prepared by international institutions.
In this context, Barcelona as a leading technological hub in Southern Europe has the strategic positioning to lead the new digital economy, according to the CEO of Tech Barcelona, Miquel Martí. "At this moment it is relevant to have a shared vision ---he said in reference to the sum of efforts with Adigital and other actors in the ecosystem--- and be able to decide what model of city and country we want for ten years from now. What we do now will condition what we will have," he assured.
One of the first purposes will be to provide the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the business fabric with "smart regulation that promotes innovation", specified the general director of Adigital, César Tello. For this, it is essential that the regulatory framework be favorable to entrepreneurship and, in this sense, the entities have prepared ---together with Foment del Treball--- a series of amendments to the Startup Law project approved by the central Government. "Establishing a regulatory framework that allows consolidated and emerging companies to compete and lay the foundations for growth on equal terms" with the industry of the rest of Europe is a sine qua non condition to evolve and extend industry 4.0, explained the general director of Innovation of Foment del Treball, Maria Mora.
One of the first purposes will be to provide the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the business fabric with smart regulation that promotes innovationThe general director of Adigital justifies that "a digitized economy is a more resilient economy", as has been demonstrated during covid. According to the Digital Economy in Spain report, "the digital sectors" have better weathered the consequences of the pandemic and digitalization has accelerated. Thus, the direct impact of the digital economy on GDP stood at 10.9% in 2020 ---a percentage that approaches the average of the most advanced countries in the European Union---, compared to 9% in 2019, with a growth rate much higher than the 0.9 points registered in previous years.
The agreement between Tech Barcelona and Adigital was presented in Barcelona and included the participation of Lluís Juncà, general director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the Generalitat; Pau Solanilla, commissioner for City Promotion of the Barcelona City Council; Maria Mora, general director of Innovation at Foment del Treball; César Tello, general director of Adigital, and Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona.
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