BNEW highlights that the aviation sector is in full flight towards an innovative and sustainable future

• The Talent vertical explores how the commitment to innovation, together with the development and attraction of the best talent, has become a fundamental pillar in the growth strategies of companies.

• Experts in digital health share their experiences related to the challenges and opportunities of clinically validating innovations in this area.

• BNEW will recognize the best startup in each vertical at the BNEW 2024 Best Startup Award gala that will take place today at 7 p.m. at DFactory Barcelona.

Barcelona, October 9, 2024.- The Barcelona New Economy Week (BNEW), an event organized by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), today launched the new Aviation vertical, in which experts from the aerospace industry address, during the last two days of the event, how innovation, the latest trends in technology, digitalization and sustainable practices are redefining the skies and opening new frontiers for aviation.

The debate focused on this third day, on aspects such as: the importance of promoting sustainable practices using alternative fuels, biofuels (SAF) and green hydrogen; the design of more efficient and lighter aircraft to reduce environmental impact, and the initiatives that airlines and airports are adopting to operate more sustainably. “It is an industry that generates more than 155,000 jobs and represents 9.3% of the Industrial GDP, which positions it as a strategic business area for our country. That is why at BNEW we have considered that we should provide a space for dialogue to this sector and more so here in the city of Barcelona and at such a decisive time”, said the special delegate of the State in the CZFB, Pere Navarro.

Thus, the commitment to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050 was the focus of a panel in which the Director of Sustainability of Air Europa, Rosa Nordfeldt; the Manager of Sustainable Aviation and Technical Assistance of Repsol, Francisco José Lucas, and the sustainability expert at Senasa, Inmaculada Gómez, participated. The session was moderated by the head of AENA’s Press Office in Catalonia, Manel Fran.

During her speech, Inmaculada Gómez highlighted that “as a public company with more than 30 years of experience, our goal is to make air transport safer and more sustainable. Since 2008, we have been working on preparing for emissions trading and developing more sustainable fuels, such as SAF. We also seek to support the administration and companies in the implementation of environmental regulations“.

In the same vein, Rosa Nordfeldt pointed out that “to tackle decarbonisation, we are following three lines of work: technology, incorporating state-of-the-art long-haul aircraft that reduce emissions by 20%; operations, optimizing the ascent and descent processes, and employing AI for more efficient loads; and, finally, the use of sustainable aviation fuel”.

For his part, Francisco José Lucas, stated that “Repsol was the first company in its sector and size to publicly commit to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This commitment translates into a strong investment by the company. A key example of this development is the opening of the first plant dedicated entirely to the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In fact, the production capacity of this plant represents, by itself, the same as what was generated globally in 2022”.

Innovation and talent as key levers for business growth

The BNEW Talent session also had a great following, in which the participating speakers shared how the combination of innovation and talent not only drives that growth, but also redefines the customer experience, allowing companies to move confidently towards a future full of possibilities. The debate moderated by BBVA’s Director of Talent and Culture in Spain, Yolanda Martínez, was attended by the chef and owner of Celler de Can Roca, Joan Roca; the co-founder of Glovo, Sacha Michaud, and the creative director and founding partner of Alegre Roca, Toni Segarra.

Joan Roca stressed that “innovation is key in a sector as competitive as the restaurant industry, and we are deeply committed to creating unique experiences for our diners. To do this, we deploy tools such as industrial design, botany, culinary technique and science. We are looking to create something completely new, such as augmented reality glasses that will allow customers to experience the act of eating a chocolate in a way never seen before“.

Sacha Michaud explained that “technology is at the core of our company, but in reality, what we did was replicate Uber’s idea: transporting people, but with products. As a technology company, we access various categories while offering a seamless user experience. Currently, we are leaders in Europe in quick ecommerce, the segment of e-commerce that will grow the most in the next decade“.

Toni Segarra pointed out that “innovation is about introducing a layer of value that lasts even when the competition equals the advance. Differentiation should not depend only on innovation, but on the spirit, attitude and culture of the company. Delivering value when there is no innovation is ultimately the key to success“.

Digital health, from research to reality

Special attention has been generated by the panel dedicated to digital health that has been hosted today on the BNEW Health set. In the session moderated by the medical director and vice-president of Barcelona Health Hub, Oscar García-Esquirol, experts in digital health detailed how innovative research translates into practical and real solutions that have an impact on patient care, and what is needed to turn digital health solutions into reliable tools for the health sector.

The head of Strategic Promotion and Transformation of the Health Management Foundation of the Hospital de Santa Creu i Santa Pau, Patricia Pesudo, said that “validating digital innovations in health is essential to ensure that they are effective, safe and accessible. We work to turn research into practical solutions that tangibly improve patient care, working closely with the industry to make these innovations a reality.”

For her part, Almirall’s Executive Director Global Clinical Operations, Estrella García, pointed out that “at Almirall, we see digital health as an opportunity to accelerate access to more personalized treatments. The challenge is to transform technological advances into tools that can be safely and efficiently integrated into daily clinical practice”.

And, the CEO of Legit.Health, Andy Aguilar, stressed that “our goal is for technology to help health professionals make faster and more accurate decisions. Turning research into accessible digital tools significantly improves patients’ lives”.

BNEW will close the day today with the Best Startup Award gala, which will take place at 7 p.m. at DFactory Barcelona.

In addition, the five finalist startups from each vertical will present their projects in a round of pitches that will take place tomorrow, Thursday 10, on the set of the Talent vertical, starting at 1 p.m.