Barcelona consolidates its leadership in the WFZO by promoting free trade zones as centres of innovation and the economy 4.0

Dubai, 2 May 2018. The Consorci de la Zona Franca in Barcelona (CZFB) consolidated its leading position at the World Free Zones Organization Congress (WFZO) in Dubai by advocating for a network of free trade zones to drive the new economy 4.0 and technological innovation, an objective that will be at the heart of the discussions of the World Congress to take place in Barcelona next year.

At the close of the Dubai Congress, the President of the World Free Zones Organization (WFZO) Mohammed Alzarooni commissioned Special State Delegate in the CZFB Jordi Cornet to hold the 5^th World Congress in Barcelona from 26 to 28 June 2019, to coincide with the International Logistics and Material Handling Exhibition (SIL).

At the Dubai congress, the Barcelona delegation attracted the sector’s attention with its proposal for transforming free trade zones into global commerce centres beyond their tax advantages and logistical use. In this regard, it advocates they become production centres that stimulate technological transformation and process digitalization to meet the requirements of the fourth industrial revolution, the economy 4.0.

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION

The Consorci’s leadership of the discussions was accompanied also a recognition from the board of directors of the WFZO, since the entity has appointed the managing directors of the CZFB, Blanca Sorigué, as its new treasurer.

From this year on, Barcelona will be home to the headquarters of the European Region of the WFZO with the Consorci advocating for sector networking in Europe at the congress in Dubai, prompting ten countries representing 100 free trade zones to team up to create the first European Association of Free Trade Zones, with support from the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP).

Delegate Jordi Cornet highlighted “a change of economic paradigm which requires the zones to adapt quickly to the fourth industrial revolution and to drastic changes in world trade that are coming with the irruption of the robotics, 3D printing and the internet of things. Free Trade Zones must be competitive in this new environment and serve as agents of transformation for small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for 90% of industry”.

Cornet is delighted that the WFZO has chosen Barcelona, “since this means that the free zones see the Catalan capital as a centre of innovation and advanced economic activity, as witnessed at the Mobile World Congress and other sector and trade fair events that make Barcelona a global capital”.

“The Consorci’s experience organising trade fairs and congresses, coupled with Spain’s prestige as a global logistics platform, the attractive, Mediterranean city of Barcelona, together with institutional efforts, were determining factors in winning the WFZO event. This is good for Spain, for Catalonia and for the city of Barcelona. Once again, the Consorci has shown that better results are achieved by working together”, he reiterated.

The 5th WFZO Congress will be held in June 2019 at the Palacio de Congresos de Catalunya. According to WFZO sources, the world has around 3,500 free trade zones in 130 countries, which provide more than 70 million jobs, equivalent to approximately 1% of the world’s active population. Therefore, they are of vital importance to global trade flow.

The Consorci de la Zona Franca in Barcelona is a consortium established in 1916 by the Spanish government, Barcelona City Council and the economic strata of Catalan civil society which, with a historic spirit of cooperation, specialises in trade logistics and economic activity. It manages Barcelona’s Industrial Area and Free Trade Zone and promotes industrial, logistical and urban areas, as well as organising business, logistics and real estate trade fairs.

You can download a photograph of the moment when the Barcelona delegation received the order from the WFZO to organise the next Free Zone Summit by clicking on the PHOTO link, and see a video of the ceremony, (minute 5) by clicking on the VIDEO link.

You can also access video images of the alliance for the association of European free trade zones by clicking on ALLIANCE VIDEO.