More than 120 startups and their innovative solutions take center stage on the second day of BNEW

• This morning, BNEW Talent hosted the pitches of the finalist startups of the BNEW Startup Innovation Hub 2025, presenting their innovative solutions applicable to various sectors: Mobility, Sustainability, Talent, Digital Industry, Health, and Aviation.

• Sustainable corporate reputation and data as a source for smart, connected mobility were the focus of the Sustainability and Mobility verticals, respectively.

Barcelona, September 30, 2025 – The second day of the sixth edition of the Barcelona New Economy Week (BNEW), organized by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), was marked by the innovative solutions presented by the finalist startups of the BNEW Startup Innovation Hub 2025. Out of more than 120 applicants, five startups from each vertical were selected to pitch their projects to a specialized audience. These finalists are also contenders for the BNEW 2025 Best Startup Award, which will be presented tomorrow at 7:00 PM in the DFactory Barcelona Auditorium.

Talent was a major focus today at BNEW, with innovative, disruptive, diverse, and inclusive solutions addressing emerging needs across the event’s sectors: Mobility, Sustainability, Talent, Aviation, Digital Industry, and Health. Standout projects included surveillance and security drones, software capable of creating AI phone agents that autonomously make and answer calls, technologies that identify brain biomarkers and deliver results in minutes from a single drop of blood, smart city solutions like intelligent bus stops and fully solar-powered traffic lights, ocean intelligence platforms providing real-time data for research, and alternative sustainable fuels. “Having the opportunity to discover such innovative and diverse ideas this morning, and bringing all that talent together in one space, is a clear example of BNEW’s ability to connect sectors that might seem unrelated but end up generating wonderful synergies. This confirms its position as the benchmark event for the new economy,” said Blanca Sorigué, CEO of the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona.

The BNEW Talent program also featured sessions on synergies between junior and senior talent for the future of work, Barcelona as a hub for digital nomads, and local KM0 talent from a municipal perspective, with participation from the mayors of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Cerdanyola del Vallès, and Viladecans.

As part of BNEW 2025, the third edition of the BNEW New Economy Observatory was also presented, with the participation of 473 professionals attending the event—76% of whom work in companies and 24% in startups. One of the most significant findings of the study reveals that 46.7% of the companies participating in BNEW 2025 plan to expand their workforce through digital transformation, while only 5.2% believe they will reduce it. The remaining 48.1% expect to maintain their current number of employees. Similarly, 83.3% of the participating startups also stated that they plan to hire staff over the next year, and 25.1% of them plan to hire more than five people.

From Circular Economy to Smart Factories

The BNEW Sustainability program explored concepts such as the circular economy as a driver of new business models, the contribution of startups to the SDGs, and purpose-driven green smart factories. Discussions also focused on sustainability as a pillar of business competitiveness and its communication in the corporate world. Institutions and companies of all sizes—CSIC, Prezero, BBVA, Veolia, Jumbo Group, Grupo Carinsa, EY, Areas, ISDIN, and T Systems—agree: sustainability is not optional.

In fact, this aspect is also highlighted in the Third New Economy Observatory, where 98.8% of companies state that they are already developing sustainable initiatives. This figure drops by 7 points in the case of startups, as 91.7% report working on sustainability-related initiatives.

Data and Technology for Smart, Connected Mobility

At the BNEW Mobility stage, institutions, companies, and entrepreneurs gathered to promote data and technology as the path to efficient, smart, and connected mobility—ready to meet the needs of Society 5.0, where data ecosystems and living labs transform mobility with a human-centered approach.

Today’s sessions featured experts and representatives from Ebro, Abertis, Cellnex, DGT, Flixbus, Bird, Eurecat, CityLogin, Theoremus, Sacyr, Kapsch Trafficcom, EIT Urban Mobility, Fundación i2CAT, ATM Barcelona, and AMB, who presented real-world projects to advance smart mobility and data ecosystems for sustainable transportation.

Aviation, Digital Industry, and Health

Today’s sessions concluded the Mobility, Sustainability, and Talent programs, paving the way for tomorrow’s focus on three new verticals: Digital Industry, Health, and Aviation. Over the course of four days, 320 speakers across 66 sessions and 100 hours of content will address the key challenges and opportunities of the new economy. All of this takes place at DFactory Barcelona, the internationally recognized Industry 4.0 ecosystem, which hosts three TV studios, a robust networking program, a showcase zone featuring the most disruptive new economy activities with 120 participating startups, and a full schedule of experiential activities.

According to Blanca Sorigué, “BNEW has the ability to bring together institutions and companies of all sizes in one space, offering a complete program of experiential activities that encourage networking in a very different way. It also allows for both physical and virtual interaction, with attendees participating in person and via the virtual platform.”

As in previous editions, all BNEW 2025 sessions can be attended in person or followed online through the BNEW digital platform, which this year features the virtual assistant BBot. This reinforces the international nature of the event, which already has registered participants from over 80 countries.