"A vision for Barcelona's future"
PPP for Cities Research Center project
A project for the economic revitalization of cities, offering focused policy solutions to key urban challenges.
Economic reactivation and innovation promotion are critical drivers needed to boost the potential of cities as well as attract world-class investment and talent. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) can play a decisive role in achieving these goals, as they can combine public and private resources and know-how to transform cities into thriving metropolises where prosperity and quality of life go hand in hand.
The PPP for Cities Research Center at IESE Business School, in collaboration with the Barcelona City Council, aims to contribute to this innovation-driven urban transformation of Barcelona with its expertise in Public-Private Partnerships. To this end, PPP for Cities has launched the “A vision for Barcelona’s future” project, which aims to promote the generation and exchange of knowledge in the fields of innovation, urban studies, mobility, logistics and water resources, always with a data-driven perspective.
Through this project, we want to provide a neutral space for debate between experts, in order to find short and medium-term solutions the main challenges faced by cities. Promoting in this way the international positioning of cities and facilitating the creation of synergies between different stakeholders to create public-private collaborations.
- To find data-driven solutions to the main economic and social challenges faced by the Barcelona Metropolitan Area.
- To channel and guide these solutions through Research Advisory Groups (RAG) formed by key stakeholders and subject matter experts.
- To design actionable solutions that may be implemented in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region and generate a real impact in each project’s key areas.
- Following a qualitative methodology, five working groups called Research Advisory Groups (RAGs) were formed, each with an specific field of knowledge: Urban Mobility, Logistics, Innovation, Urban Studies and Water Resources.
- The objective of these RAGs were to determine the most pressing challenges that the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona is currently facing and design actionable solutions to be implemented in the short term.
- The RAG members met once a month to discuss the challenges. During the workshops, the academic director and the coordinator guided the members to draw practical conclusions on the topics discussed.
- Each RAG worked under the academic direction of an IESE professor and a recognized professional from each field acting as a group coordinator.
- A steering committee was constituted to oversee the project, provide guidance, recommendations, and leadership to drive successful outcomes.
- Mercè Conesa, Directora General, Barcelona Global
- Pilar Conesa, CEO, Anteverti
- Michael Donaldson, Good Governance, Digital Innovation and Electronic Administration, Barcelona City Council
- Oriol Estela, General Coordinator, PEMB
- Cristina Garrido, Strategy and Innovation Director, Anteverti
- Ramon Gras, Co-Founder Aretian Urban Analytics
- Miriam Plaza, Strategic Planning and Integrated Management, B:SM
- Bárbara Pons, Strategic Projects and Agenda 2030 Commissionate, Barcelona City Council
- David Rodríguez, Technical Secreariat, PEMB
- Daniel Serra, Director of E&S, EIT Urban Mobility
- Ignacio Torras, President & CEO, Tricon
5 Key Areas of Research.
Each key area represents the field of knowledge of each Research Advisory Group. A group of issues defined as "challenges" where determined by the working groups and represented the main topics of discussion for each group.
Urban Mobility
Logistics
Innovation
Water Resources
Urban Studies
Research Advisory Groups.
Research Advisory Groups (RAGs) are working groups created to combine the practical experience of private and public actors with the in-depth research offered by the academic world.
Each RAG is formed by relevant actors and experts in each field. RAG members contributed, with their experience and professional knowledge, to focus the discussions and find solutions to selected challenges.
+22
Research Advisory Group meetings
+66
Research Advisory Group members
+34
Public & Private sector entities represented
Findings and ongoing projects.
Pilots: We are currently working on the necessary steps to create pilots for some of the solutions designed by the Research Advisory Groups.
Research Project: In collaboration with Aretian Urban Analytics with the aim of developing a comparative analysis of 5 metropolitan areas, including Barcelona, in terms of urban and economic development over the last few years. The purpose of the project is to extract generalizable knowledge and perspectives in terms of public policies, public-private projects. development strategies and strategic decision-making for urban leaders. The areas of analysis will focus mainly on five currents of urban diagnostics and recommendations: Quality and Efficiency of Urban Development, housing and quality standards of the 15-minute city, innovation and knowledge economy, Urban mobility and logistics and sustainability of urban development.
Members.
Academic Director: Joan Enric Ricart, Strategic Management Professor, IESE Business School
Coordinator: Marta Alvarez Bermejo, Stakeholder and Partnership Manager, EIT Urban Mobility
- Jim Ahtes, Senior Innovation Manager, Fundació i2CAT
- Lluís Alegre Valls, Mobility Director, ATM Barcelona
- Jordi Bacardit, Senior Public Policy Manager, TIER Mobility
- Jordi Casas, City Development Manager, EIT Urban Mobility
- Margarida López, Director of Innovation & Digital Transformation, Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona
- Noemi Moya, Director of Public Affairs, FREENOW
- Jordi Ortuño, Manager innovation, Ajuntament Barcelona - IMI
- Ramon Pruneda, CTO, AMB Informació i Serveis, S.A.
- Ana Solà, CEO, Direxis / Cinesi
- Elena Aguarta, Directora de Servicios de Innovación para la Movilidad en Moventia
- Ángel López, Coordinador General de Serveis de Mobilitat, Ajuntament de Barcelona
Academic Director: Víctor Martínez de Albéniz, Operations, Information and Technology Professor, IESE Business School
Coordinator: Marta Losada Martín, Logistics Manager, Cluster Catalonia
- Sandra Álvarez, Institutional Relations for Barcelona, Mercadona
- Lluís Framis, Commercial Director, Geever
- Alejandra Pérez, Project Manager, Nacex
- Elisabeth Ribera, Institutional Relations, Mercadona
- Ariadna Sancho, Technician at Mobility Strategies, Ajuntament de Barcelona
- Albert Sant, Cap d'Unitat de Distribució d'Última Milla, BSM
- Jordi Periz, Transport Manager South Europe, Veepee
- Sergi Vidal, Professional Mobility Services Director, Barcelona Serveis Municipals
Academic Director: Júlia Prats, Professor of Enterpreneurship, IESE Business School
Coordinator: Joan Guasch, International Development and R&I Policies Director, Eurecat
- Vicenç Aguilera, Automotive Engineer
- Gloria Boix, Head of Strategic Projects - Economic Promotion, Barcelona City Council
- Maria Mora, Director of Innovation, Foment del treball
- Àngels Santigosa, Cap del Departament d'Estudis, Gerència d'Economia, Recursos i Promoció Econòmica, Ajuntament de Barcelona
- Josep Miquel Pique Huerta, Executive President, La Salle Technova Barcelona
- Montse Puig, CEO, Barcelona & Partners
Academic Director: Massimo Maoret, Strategic Management Professor, IESE Business School
Coordinator: Miguel Hernández, Director de las Áreas de Prospectiva y Sostenibilidad del Institut Cerdà
- Xavier Amores, Director Catalan Water Partnership
- Blanca Atienza, Directora de Serveis d'Espai Públic, Ajuntament de l'Hospitalet
- Narcís Berberana, CEO for Catalunya, AGBAR
- Carles Conill, Water, Environment and Climate Change Commission President, Col.legi del’Enginyeria de Camins
- Martin Gullón, Water Cycle and Metropolitan Policy Analysis Area, AMB
- Keith Hays, VP & Managing Director, Bluefield Research
- Carlos Montero, Director de Proyectos Estratégicos, Agbar
- Elena Reutskaja, Profesora de Dirección Comercial, IESE Business School
- Samuel Reyes, General Director, ACA
- Ruben Ruiz, Director Continuidad de negocio, AGBAR
- Sonia Sanchis, Area Manager, LEITAT Technological Center
- Marc Vilà, Infrastructures & Sustainability Area Director, Mercabarna
Academic Director: Carles Vergara, Finance Professor, IESE Business School
Coordinator: Mercè Conesa, CEO, Barcelona Global
- Aleix Arcarons, Co-Director, Observatori Metropolità del'Habitatge de Barcelona
- Elisabet Carbonell Bonet, Member of the Governing Board, Colegio Administradores de Fincas Barcelona - Lleida
- Lourdes Ciuró Buldó, Chief of Institutional Relations, Col·legi Administradors de Finques Barcelona - Lleida
- Francisco Diéguez, General Director, ITeC
- Jaume Fornt i Paradell, Director, Gencat
- Daniel Larramona, Senior Advisor, EFFIC
- Rafael López Palacios, Partner, Urban Input
- Sònia Oliveras, General Director, Col.legi d'Arquitectes de Catalunya
- Albert Pérez, Engineering Advisor, Col·legi Administradors de Finques Barcelona - Lleida
- Pere Picorelli, Housing Planning Coordinator, Institut Català del Sòl
- Mireia Sender, Researcher, Observatori Metropolità de l'Habitatge de Barcelona (O-HB)
- Lorenzo Viñas Périz, President, Col·legi Administradors de Finques Barcelona - Lleida
Activities.
The main activities of the project consisted in RAGs workshops and two conferences where initial and final ideas where tested with representatives of the public & private sector and civil society representatives.
- Urban Studies
- September 6, 2023: “Affordable housing”
- October 4, 2023: “Interventions in buildings to optimize climate response and reduction of CO2 emissions”
- November 7, 2023: “Public-private collaboration models for the transformation of buildings”
- Mobility
- September 13, 2023: “Mobility Governance”
- October 11, 2023: “Data Space Governance”
- November 15, 2023: “Public Private Collaborations”
- Innovation
- September 12, 2023: “Principles and requirements of the governance system needed to promote innovation and data governance models”
- October 9, 2023: "Innovation data platform"
- November 13, 2023
- Logistics
- September 26, 2023: “Strategy of urban consolidation points and DUM in which cargo bikes have a central role in last mile distribution”
- October 24, 2023: "International best practices of Urban Goods Distribution strategies"
- November 14, 2023
- Water Resources
- October 24, 2023: "Challenges of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area in terms of supply and storage of water resources. Good practices and solutions that can be extrapolated and have a relevant impact in the short/medium term"
City science, urban design and economic development to transform Barcelona
March 24, 2023, Aula Magna, IESE Business School
- Bárbara Pons Giner, Agenda 2030 Commissioner, Barcelona City Council
- Ramón Gras, Urban Innovation Researcher at Harvard University and Co-Founder of Aretian Urban Analytics and Design
- Andreu Mas-Colell, President, BIST
- Miquel Barceló, Member of 22 and the Global Institute of Innovation Districts
- Roberto Gili, CEO, Fractalia Innovation Hubs
- María Galindo, Board Member of the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, European Commission
- Joan Enric Ricart, Strategic Management and Academic Director of PPP for Cities, IESE Business School
Watch the complete Conference on Youtube
Incubation Workshop
December 1, 2023, Aula Magna, IESE Business School
During the workshop, each RAG presented its proposals to the participants and discussed them in an interactive debate.
Project Management Team.
- Alicia Plana, Executive Director, PPP for Cities
- Estefanía Alarcón, Manager, PPP for Cities
- Javier Borràs, Research Assistant, PPP for Cities
- Federico Grossi, Research Assistant, PPP for Cities
Sponsors.
RAGs Coordinating Entities.
