The meeting of the Cercle d'Economia is enlivened by the America's Cup sailing race

At the previous meeting of the Cercle d'Economia, discouragement weighed among the attendees, who saw that Barcelona lacked projects, said the first deputy mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni. A year later, it's not that the city has fully recovered, but there are starting to be reasons not to be so discouraged. It was palpable at the same table where Collboni spoke during the first day of the Cercle d'Economia meeting, which kicked off its XXXVII edition this Wednesday for the second time from the W hotel. Collboni was accompanied by Grant Dalton, the CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand and organizer of the America's Cup, one of the great victories that the Catalan capital has scored in recent months. "It's an example that things can happen," emphasized the first deputy mayor.

Dalton was the speaker everyone wanted to hear on this first day of the Cercle meeting. As a representative of the winning team of the previous America's Cup edition, he had to choose which city would host the next one, in 2024. One factor that prompted his choice was visible from the window of the W Hotel, he joked, although he quickly weighed other reasons that convinced him. "Barcelona has emotion," he defended, recalling the memory the city left him with the '92 Olympic Games. He especially remembered Freddy Mercury. "We would like to revive that feeling," he stated.

Beyond feelings, the CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand pointed to the existing infrastructure in the city, the good conditions its coastline offers for sailing, the city council's commitment to the blue economy, and the institutions' willingness to host them. The president of the Port of Barcelona, Damià Calvet, one of the agents most involved in attracting the America's Cup, indicated that, to continue contributing to Barcelona getting more projects like this, it is necessary to bring together different driving forces that strengthen them. "That movement must have good speed and orientation, and the Port is and wants to continue being one of those driving forces," he remarked.

But not everything has been about the America's Cup. "It is not an isolated case," emphasized the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, in a previous session, assuring that they will work to make it the best edition of this competition ever held. Colau recalled other international events that have opted for Barcelona in the midst of the pandemic, such as the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), the most important audiovisual fair in the world that will land next week in the Catalan capital; the art biennial Manifesta, which will coincide in 2024 with the maritime competition, and the Congress of the International Union of Architects, which will turn Barcelona into the world capital of architecture in 2026. And, in addition, she indicated, it is consolidating other events it already hosts such as the Mobile World Congress (MWC). "Barcelona attracts not only because we have a beach and are a beautiful city, but because we have a model for the future and that seduces. We are a leading city," she defended.

There has also been space to address projects that still need to be unblocked, such as the Winter Olympic Games or the expansion of Barcelona Airport. The president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco, wanted to reassure those Barcelonians worried that they will not be held in the Catalan and Aragonese Pyrenees in 2030, and, personifying them in Collboni, assured him that all his concerns will eventually be resolved. Blanco explained the benefits of hosting this event, such as that it will improve infrastructure, not only sports; it does not require large investments, and it will generate employment, estimating it at more than 80,000 jobs. "It is very difficult to say no," Blanco summarized. "No one has had the Summer Olympics, the Winter Olympics, and the America's Cup," Dalton added.

Extensive program over three days

On the first day of the meeting, the inauguration fell to the president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, introduced by the president of the Cercle, Javier Faus, in his last days in office. Among the public were the two aspirants to succeed him, Jaume Guardiola and Rosa Cañadas. The lines that must define the European energy reform have focused the bulk of the first afternoon of the meeting, with the participation of the third vice-president of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera; the CEO of Endesa, José Bogas, the CEO of Repsol, Josu Jon Imaz, and the president of Enagás, Antonio Llardén.

This Thursday, the debate will focus on Europe, industry, the challenges of the Spanish economy, innovation, and the social repercussions of the current crisis. Some of the speakers participating are former ministers Josep Piqué and Javier Solana, the Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Diplomatic Affairs of NATO, Carmen Romero; the president of the Chamber of Spain, José Luis Bonet; the president of Pimec, Antoni Cañete; the president of Foment del Treball, Josep Sánchez Llibre; the president of CaixaBank, José Ignacio Goirigolzarri; the president of Telefónica, José María Álvarez-Pallete; the CEO of Cellnex, Tobías Martínez; the CEO and co-founder of Glovo, Oscar Pierre; the CEO of Wallbox, Enric Asunción; the president of Indra, Marc Murtra; and the co-founder of Vilynx, Elisenda Bou.

The president of the Cercle, Javier Faus, is living his last days in office. Among the public, the two aspirants to succeed him, Jaume Guardiola and Rosa Cañadas.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will also participate in the event on Friday, to collect the European Construction Award from the Cercle d'Economia, which aims to highlight the initiatives promoted by European institutions to tackle the pandemic and its consequences, especially the Next Generation funds. In the first edition, the award went to the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Mario Draghi, who at the time of the award's resolution held the presidency of the European Central Bank (ECB). Another award to be presented will be the José Manuel Lara Award for business ambition and purpose, with the presence of King Felipe VI. In this third edition, the award winners will all be businesswomen, including the co-founder and CMO of Freshly Cosmetics, Mireia Trepat; the president of Inesfly, Pilar Mateo; and the CEO and co-founder of MiCuento, Muriel Bourgeois.