Companies and administrations bring to the table at BNEW the keys to achieving sustainable tourism

• Representatives of public and private companies analyze the effects of tourism in large cities with the aim of achieving sustainability in a sector that represents 13% of Spanish GDP.

• Sustainable tourism, the blue economy and the transformation of industry 4.0 are the focus of the debate on the second day of the fifth edition of Barcelona New Economy Week (BNEW).

• DFactory Barcelona is consolidating its position as a reference hub for the promotion and development of Industry 4.0, generating business opportunities between the companies installed and their environment.

Barcelona, 8 October 2024.- The Barcelona New Economy Week (BNEW), promoted by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), today held the second day of its fifth edition, with a focus on sustainable tourism, the blue economy and industry 4.0. DFactory Barcelona has once again opened its doors to knowledge and networking, welcoming experts in different strategic sectors for the new economy.

The Sustainability vertical has focused today on the impact of tourism in large cities, an activity that represents 13% of Spanish GDP. The president of the public company Paradores de Turismo, Raquel Sánchez; the Chief Corporate Affairs, Brand and Sustainability of Vueling, Sandra Hors, and the corporate director of Grupo Hotusa, Marina López, have analysed the keys to achieving sustainable tourism that respects the environment and citizens, in a debate moderated by the director of the “Gente Viajera” programme of Onda Cero, Carles Lamelo.

During her speech, Raquel Sánchez stressed that “we intend to be an instrument of tourism policy of the government of Spain. Our history, which has a history of more than 100 years, positions us as a benchmark in sustainable tourism since we always try to preserve the environment and take care of the heritage“.

Likewise, Sandra Hors referred to “80% of tourists who arrive in Spain do so by plane and as a reference company in the country and at a European level, we are already working to decarbonize our footprint”.

For her part, Marina López pointed out that “sustainability must be social, environmental and economic. To achieve this, it is essential to address it in a global and transversal way, since any business that aspires to be sustainable must balance its impact in these three dimensions”.

Blue Economy: promoting a sustainable future from the oceans

The blue economy was also the protagonist on this second day of BNEW, specifically in a session in which representatives of the public and private sectors addressed the promotion of a sustainable future from the oceans. The special delegate of the State in the CZFB, Pere Navarro, was in charge of moderating the panel in which the following participated: the special delegate of the State in the Cadiz Free Trade Zone Consortium, Francisco González; the director of Strategic Sectors and Innovation of Barcelona Activa, Anna Majó; the technical director of the BCN Port Innovation Foundation,  promoted by the Port of Barcelona, Miquel de la Mano, and the CEO of Seabots, Pau Guasch.

During the debate, Pere Navarro pointed out that “the blue economy relates to most of the planet and is fundamental to manage the sustainability and responsible exploitation of our seas, for which public-private collaboration is essential”.

In the same vein, Francisco González highlighted that “with 130 initiatives in incubation, we are aligned with the SDGs, promoting sustainability and innovation, taking Barcelona as a reference and applying this model in Cadiz”.

In turn, Anna Majó has stated that “with an investment of 142 million euros and more than 45.000m² dedicated to blue economy activities, we are aligning different institutions and companies to make the blue economy a reality in Barcelona. This initiative positions us internationally, prioritising sustainability and innovation as key growth factors”.

For his part, Miquel de la Mano has advanced that “we must work towards a sustainable blue economy, considering that maritime transport accounts for 3% of emissions. Barcelona offers a unique space to develop a regulatory ecosystem that supports this transition and opens new opportunities in the blue economy”.

Finally, Pau Guasch has pointed out that “we are a technology startup that uses robotics to gather valuable information from our coastlines. Our autonomous and intelligent robots, deployed around the world, are key tools in monitoring sensitive marine scenarios”.

Industry 4.0 at the service of the America’s Cup

Another of the panels that has focused the attention of visitors has been that of industry 4.0 at the service of the America’s Cup, in which three companies installed in the DFactory Barcelona have analysed how advanced technologies are transforming the emblematic sporting event, having collaborated with the teams participating in the competition. This is the case of Newsfender, which has worked on the 3D printed fenders of the boats; Siocast, which has made the silicone molds with which gift chocolates that recreate the trophy have been printed, and AsorCAD, which has helped four of the participating teams by measuring it using 3D printing scanners to detect damage suffered in the different boats and thus be able to repair them to win in competitiveness.

During the session, the consolidation of DFactory Barcelona as a reference hub for the promotion and development of industry 4.0 was highlighted. “These are just three clear examples of the multiple possibilities that Industry 4.0 offers for a very specific sector of activity. However, if we add to the equation the different solutions that can be offered by the 32 companies currently installed in DFactory Barcelona applied to various sectors, the possibilities are endless,” said the general director of the CZFB, Blanca Sorigué.

At the end of this day, the programs of the Sustainability, Mobility and Digital Industry verticals also conclude, giving way to the Aviation, Health and Talent programs, which will take place over the next two days.