The Barcelona City Council has already chosen which projects will go ahead to revitalize three disused industrial buildings in the Besòs area and in the 22@ technology district. The main objective is to boost the city’s economy and attract innovation, investment and talent through collaboration between public and private actors. The chosen projects will be launched between 2024 and 2025, with a public cost for the purchase of the buildings of about 6 million euros.
In the Besòs axis, specifically in Ciutat d’Asunción street, 16, the “Barcelona Circular Hub” project will be installed, which will be carried out by the company Mondragón. With its implementation, it is intended to help the digital transformation of small and medium-sized companies, in addition to promoting new circular economy mechanisms. To achieve this, the project will have the collaboration of local talent and international investments and companies. It is expected to start running progressively in 2025.
The other two projects will be in the 22@ area. The first of these, managed by the company Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, IAAC, will be in the Ávila warehouse (14-18 Calle Ávila), located in Poblenou. Its installation will allow further progress in the areas of urban innovation and Smart City. Among the different activities that it will host there will be several related to the energy transition. as a demonstrator of the future of zero emissions in buildings, with clean energy and materials such as wood. This project will also enter into progressive operation from 2025.
The third project will occupy the E warehouse of Palo Alto (30 Pellaires street), located in the Diagonal Mar and Frente Marítimo neighborhood of Poblenou. It will be in charge of creation and dissemination programs for audiovisual projects created from new technologies such as virtual reality or 3D. In addition, this project, which is in charge of the UTE “Palo Alto BCN XRLAB”, will try to connect technological innovation zones in Barcelona, ??Spain and Europe. This project is scheduled to start operating in 2024.
The third lieutenant and president of Barcelona Activa, Laia Bonet, stressed that this is “an absolutely innovative operation, which will make it possible to deploy economic development projects in the city, and boost life and the economy in the districts and neighbourhoods”.
Bonet has argued that “the future of our city depends on initiatives like this, a catalyst for innovation, talent, the promotion of new companies and more quality jobs, which is why we promote public-private partnership projects with strategic partners”.
To develop this public-private collaboration plan, Barcelona has based itself on others that already exist, such as the Brooklyn Navy Yard (New York) or Station F in Paris. In addition, other projects are added to this initiative, such as the renovation of the Olympic stadium or the creation of an innovation hub in the historic Post Office building.