DFactory showcases its model to Minister Ordeig to boost the future of the agri-food sector

• The Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food highlights the potential of the Industry 4.0 ecosystem driven by the CZFB to address strategic challenges such as agri-food innovation.

• DFactory Barcelona, which has already reached full occupancy and is currently being expanded, is consolidating itself as a European benchmark in Industry 4.0 and as a driver of Barcelona’s new urban industry district.

Barcelona, June 29, 2026. – The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Government of Catalonia, Òscar Ordeig, accompanied by the Secretary of Food, Rosa Cubel, visited DFactory Barcelona today, where they held a working meeting with the Executive President of the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), Pere Navarro, and the Director General of the CZFB, Blanca Sorigué.

During the visit, the minister was able to learn first-hand about the model promoted by the CZFB to lead the industrial transformation towards a more digital, sustainable and connected economy, with DFactory Barcelona as the epicenter of this change.

DFactory Barcelona represents much more than a physical space. It is the place where 21st-century industry lands, collaborates and grows. An environment designed to facilitate interaction between companies, talent and technology, where innovation takes shape in real solutions applied to production processes.

The Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Government of Catalonia, Òscar Ordeig, gave a very positive assessment of his visit to DFactory Barcelona and highlighted its role as a benchmark technological ecosystem capable of decisively contributing to the transformation of agriculture, livestock, fisheries and the food sector: “DFactory Barcelona is a very clear example of how innovation, technology and cross-sector collaboration can help transform the country’s productive economy. The solutions developed within this ecosystem, linked to fields such as artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, biotechnology, sensorization or data use, open up new opportunities for the agri-food sector and can help us move towards more efficient, sustainable and competitive production. Catalonia has a very strong agri-food sector, and connecting it with innovation spaces such as this one is key to strengthening food sovereignty, generating added value and addressing major future challenges.

A leading Industry 4.0 ecosystem in Europe

During the tour, Minister Ordeig visited some of the companies based at DFactory, working in fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and cybersecurity, forming part of a highly specialized ecosystem that drives advanced industrial development.

Currently, DFactory Barcelona is at 100% occupancy, with 46 companies operating on-site, generating more than 300 direct jobs and over 1,200 indirect jobs. This collaborative environment has enabled the development of 63 patents worldwide, demonstrating the project’s innovative potential and capacity to generate applied knowledge.

The project continues to expand. The CZFB is promoting an extension of DFactory Barcelona that will reach 60,000 m², consolidating it as one of the largest industrial technology hubs in southern Europe and strengthening its ability to attract new companies and innovation centers.

During the meeting, Pere Navarro and Blanca Sorigué also emphasized to Minister Ordeig the strategic relevance of the agri-food sector within the DFactory Barcelona ecosystem. In a context shaped by climate change, new forms of cultivation linked to eco-agriculture are emerging, requiring a high level of technological development, positioning DFactory Barcelona as an ideal environment to host a specific innovation center in this field.

In this regard, the executive president of the CZFB, Pere Navarro, stated: “The agri-food sector is one of the major economic and social assets of our country, and also one of the areas where innovation can have the most direct impact on competitiveness, sustainability and people’s quality of life.”

“At the CZFB, we want to contribute to this transformation by providing the sector with an ecosystem like DFactory Barcelona, capable of connecting technology, business and applied knowledge. Today, challenges related to climate change, resource efficiency and new production models require advanced industrial responses, and DFactory is an ideal environment to address the major goals of the future,” he added.

Agri-food gains prominence at BNEW 2026

They also highlighted that the agri-food sector will be one of the new verticals of the Barcelona New Economy Week (BNEW 2026), which will take place from October 5 to 7 at DFactory Barcelona. This international event will also include the verticals of Aviation & Space, Gaming, Talent, Science, Health, Energy and Artificial Intelligence, consolidating its position as a benchmark space for debating and promoting the new economy.

Finally, the CZFB’s general director, Blanca Sorigué, stressed: “DFactory Barcelona is a living ecosystem where the most advanced technologies are transformed into tangible solutions thanks to collaboration between companies, talent and institutions. The inclusion of the agri-food sector as one of the new verticals of BNEW 2026 reflects our commitment to connecting strategic sectors with the tools of the new economy.”

“We are talking about a field with enormous innovation potential, from artificial intelligence and sensorization to robotics, data and biotechnology, and we want DFactory to also become a meeting point to accelerate this evolution. The transformation of the agri-food sector requires spaces to share knowledge, build partnerships and launch projects with real impact, and this is precisely the role we aim to continue playing at the CZFB,” she concluded.