The 22@ is not just a neighborhood. It is a living laboratory where creativity, research, and technology coexist with citizens. With a strong presence of universities, such as the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), and cutting-edge research centers, this Barcelona district has consolidated itself as the heart of the city's digital and sustainable transformation. Its future involves continuing to be this melting pot of talent and ideas where the boundaries between sectors, disciplines, and institutions blur to give rise to a collaborative and plural ecosystem.
The university, an accomplice to this vision, wants to contribute by acting as a driver of applied research and promoting projects that connect academic knowledge with the real needs of the territory. With interdisciplinary research groups and a strong commitment to knowledge transfer, the UOC actively contributes to finding innovative solutions to the major environmental and social challenges of the district.
Sustainability will be one of the fundamental axes of the 22@ of the future. The district advocates for green urbanism, with public spaces designed for people, sustainable mobility infrastructures, high energy efficiency buildings, and a clear commitment to renewable energies. In this context, the UOC plays a key role, with initiatives such as the new degree in Sustainability Management, Digital Transformation, and Environment, which aims to train the professionals who will lead the change towards a more conscious and resilient society.
This neighborhood model not only seeks technological excellence but also social inclusion. The 22@ must be a place where companies, residents, and educational centers coexist with a shared purpose: to generate collective well-being and equity. The future demands integrating economic objectives with social and environmental needs, building a space where everyone can participate and prosper.
From its leadership in digital education, the UOC promotes the internationalization of the district through alliances such as OpenEU, which reinforces the global projection of the 22@. Thus, with the contribution of the university, the district not only exports technology but also models of coexistence, inclusive education, training and guidance for employment, training in technological profiles and development that can inspire other cities in the world.
If we ask ourselves what the 22@ of the future should be like, we conceive it as a city within the city: innovative, green, equitable, and open. A space where technology is at the service of people and where collaboration between institutions, companies, and citizens is the key to shared and sustainable progress.