BNEW to award the best startups across seven key new economy sectors

• El The Best BNEW Startup 2026 Award will recognize the most outstanding project in each vertical: Gaming, AI, Energy, Agrofood, Science, Talent, Aviation & Space, and Health.

• Finalist startups will present their projects in a 4-minute pitch to an audience of investors, companies, clients, suppliers, potential partners, and specialized professionals from around the world.

• Startups interested in participating in the BNEW Startup Innovation Hub can submit their applications through the event website until Monday, September 7.

Barcelona, September 1, 2026. –  As part of the seventh edition of Barcelona New Economy Week (BNEW) 2026, which will take place from October 5 to 7 at DFactory Barcelona, the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) will once again recognize the most innovative startups in each of the sectors featured at the event: Aviation & Space, Agrofood, Gaming, Talent, Science, Health, AI, and Energy. The BNEW Startup Innovation Hub aims to foster entrepreneurship and innovation by bringing together professionals from different economic sectors, industries, SMEs, large corporations, public administrations, institutions, and startups in a single networking space designed to encourage cross-border collaboration.

According to Pere Navarro, Executive President of the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), “Since its very first edition, BNEW has sought to recognize talent, innovation, and entrepreneurship by rewarding projects that contribute to the advancement of the new economy and society as a whole. In most cases, these projects begin as ideas that gradually evolve and ultimately become real-world applications with a meaningful impact on businesses and our daily lives. At the Consorci de la Zona Franca, we want to continue helping transform these great ideas into reality.”

Through this initiative, BNEW offers a platform where emerging companies can showcase their creative and innovative solutions to some of the world’s leading industrial companies, investors, and venture capital firms. Finalist startups will have the opportunity to present their projects during the pitch competition, which will take place on Wednesday, October 7, before an audience made up of investors, companies, clients, suppliers, potential partners, and industry professionals. The projects selected by a specialized jury will receive the Best BNEW Startup 2026 Award, during an awards ceremony to be held on the afternoon of Monday, October 5, at the BNEW Talent studio.

Blanca Sorigué, CEO of the CZFB, highlights that “Beyond the recognition and visibility that come with receiving the award, BNEW provides participating startups with a unique opportunity to showcase their projects to the market and, above all, to establish valuable connections through the different physical and digital networking tools that the CZFB makes available to event attendees.”

The deadline for applications is Monday, September 7, and interested startups can submit their candidacies through the event website.

50 sessions and 270 speakers

The seventh edition of BNEW will feature three television studios, more than 50 discussion sessions, and 270 speakers. The event will continue with its hybrid format, streaming all content through its digital platform while enhancing in-person attendance through dedicated networking spaces. In addition, the event will offer a comprehensive program of more than 40 experiential activities, allowing visitors to enjoy a unique experience while discovering the latest advances in some of the industries driving the new economy, as well as part of the cultural, leisure, and design offerings of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area.

Once again, all of this will take place at DFactory Barcelona, the internationally recognized Industry 4.0 ecosystem promoted by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona. Registration to access the digital platform and attend the event in person is now open through the BNEW website: www.bnewbarcelona.com.