A vision for Barcelona's future: the economic reactivation of the Barcelona metropolitan area

A PPP for Cities project

Economic reactivation and innovation promotion are critical drivers to boost the Barcelona Metropolitan Area and attracts 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 Barcelona into a thriving metropolis where prosperity and quality of life go hand in hand.

Part of the mission of the PPP for Cities Research Center at IESE Business School, in collaboration with the Barcelona City Council, is 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 “A vision for Barcelona’s future”, which aims to promote the generation and exchange of knowledge in the fields of innovation, urban studies, mobility, logistics and water resources.

  • To find data-driven solutions to the main challenges faced by the latest innovations in urban ecosystems across 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 RMB and generate a real impact in each project’s key areas.

Project’s key areas

  • Mobility
  • Logistics
  • Innovation
  • Water Resources
  • Urban studies

Research Advisory Groups.

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.

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 

  • 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"

Sponsors.

logo-AYUNTAMIENTO-BCN
Public-Private Partnerships for Cities-LOGO-R
torras familiy logo

Steering Committee

  • 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, Researcher Harvard
  • Miriam Plaza, Strategic Planning and Integrated Management, B:SM
  • Bárbara Pons, Strategic Projects and Agenda 2030 Commissionate, Barcelona City Council
  • Joan Enric Ricart, Strategic Management Professor, IESE Business School
  • David Rodríguez, Technical Secreariat, PEMB
  • Daniel Serra, Director of E&S, EIT Urban Mobility
  • Ignacio  Torras, President & CEO, Tricon

Organizing Committee

  • 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