The Free Zone opens spaces for the new economy

The Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), under the direction of the special delegate of the State Jordi Cornet, has entered a new corporate stage in which it has set the strategic objective of helping small and medium-sized companies and being a catalyst for productive transformation towards industry 4.0, thus contributing to Barcelona regaining prominence as an international hub of the new globalized economy.

Project for the construction of warehouses for industry 4.0 and SMEs that will be located in the heart of the Zona Franca, at the corner of street 3 and street A, occupying two spaces totaling 43,000 m2 on the plot of the old SEAT factory

Although initially the accelerator will locate its facilities and prototypes in the Consorci's own headquarters, public tenders are already being worked on for this project for the construction of warehouses for industry 4.0 and SMEs, a complex that will be located in the heart of the Zona Franca, at the corner of street 3 and street A, occupying two spaces totaling 43,000 m2 on the plot of the old SEAT factory. The project has an initial investment for 2018 of €10 million and the total required investment will be between €25 and €30 million.

To undertake these transformative projects with maximum effectiveness, the entity has decided to restructure its corporate organization under the responsibility of the new general director Blanca Sorigué, until now International Expansion Director and director of the International Logistics Exhibition (SIL). The general secretary, Anton Ferré, is also part of the senior management, which will also have a 4.0 director, currently in an external selection process by a headhunting company.

The reorientation of the Consorci towards the new economy and the promotion of transformative activities that can project the production carried out in Barcelona into the global economy comes at a particularly crucial moment in which industry has regained prominence as an export engine, it is necessary to strengthen technological infrastructures towards digitized industrial production and in which companies have resources for investment in capital goods.

The Consorci itself undertakes this investment stage thanks to its own transformation in recent years, in which, through business refocusing, commercial revitalization and cost containment, it has achieved a much lighter and more efficient structure, reducing expenditure by 13 million (24%), lowering financial debt to 44.8 million euros and updating the value of its assets by 47% downwards.

TRANSFORMATION OF THE GREAT INDUSTRIAL AREA OF BARCELONA

The industrial estate has an occupancy rate of 99.3%. The business activity carried out in the industrial estate is 43% industrial sector companies, 31% dedicated to logistics and 25% dedicated to services, according to the 2016 Barcelona Regional survey, which also collected that companies rate the CZFB's management of the industrial estate with a score of 7.7 out of 10.

The CZFB's reaction to the economic crisis and the 30% reduction in average rental prices in the industrial estate were elements highly valued by the business community, as well as the Consorci's commitment to defending business interests in general.

Full occupancy does not imply that productive use is palpable at first glance, as many plots have developments in administrative process or in project. This is the case of the recovered land from the old SEAT factory, an automobile factory that continues to produce in the Zona Franca even though it has grouped its activities to free up land.

Of a total area of 439,000 m2 recovered from SEAT, 98.5% of them are occupied: 270,000 m2 are leased and in project phase; 110,000 m2 are leased, built or in constructive phase; 2,750 m2 reserved for an energy substation; 49,300 reserved for roads and only 6,900 m2 are free for rent.

The industrial park occupies 6 million m2, the equivalent of 6% of Barcelona's municipal area, and the entity's strategic plan aims to optimize the use of this industrial area, which has its own customs free zone, to fully exploit Barcelona's innovative potential and its privileged location next to the Delta's connectivity infrastructures, an international productive hub thanks to the rise of trade in the globalized economy.

Thus, urban and technological aspects are being improved with fiber optic cabling throughout its territory, its LED lighting is being transformed, the heating&cooling and regenerated water circuit for industrial uses is being deployed, green areas are being expanded, and mobility is being improved with the arrival of the metro to the area and the opening of bike lanes on its main arteries.

Being the first Spanish industrial park to achieve quality certification in its common areas, the Consorci is about to launch a circular economy project in the area for business collaboration, energy saving, and to take advantage of the available resources in the territory. Last year, it received the Bronze recognition from the European Union for five years of complying with EMAS environmental regulations in the industrial park, among other good governance certifications.

The Consorci is a public company that is fully financed with its own funds from industrial leases in the Zona Franca de Barcelona Industrial Park and from its asset management. Dedicated to economic promotion, it is an entity guided by the spirit of concertation whose plenary is made up of representatives of the Spanish government, the Barcelona City Council, and the city's main economic entities.