The CZFB Presents Its Urban Industry Model as a Driver of Progress

• The Barcelona Free Trade Zone Consortium (CZFB) is taking part this week in Advanced Factories with its own stand, where it is showcasing its evolution as a benchmark industrial ecosystem.

• On the occasion of its participation in Advanced Factories, the Executive President of the CZFB, Pere Navarro, and the Director General, Blanca Sorigué, held a presentation attended by more than 30 companies from the ecosystem.

Barcelona, May 5, 2026.- The Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB) is taking part this week with its own stand at Advanced Factories, the leading international trade fair for industrial automation, robotics and Industry 4.0, where it is presenting its activity model focused on advanced digital and urban industry in the city. This morning, the CZFB’s Executive President, Pere Navarro, and its Director General, Blanca Sorigué, held a presentation event attended by more than 30 companies from the ecosystem, highlighting its consolidation as a productive district where industry once again becomes a driver of economic and social progress.

During their address, Navarro and Sorigué explained that in recent years the CZFB has become a key player in the new industrial economy. From its traditional role as a manager of industrial land, the organisation has evolved towards a model capable of generating innovation ecosystems that connect business, technology and talent. “One of the key features of DFactory Barcelona, as the heart of this Industry 4.0 district, is its ability to connect all the companies in the ecosystem to generate new projects and opportunities; this happens on a daily basis. We have created the conditions for innovation to occur, connecting talent, technology and business” highlighted the CZFB’s Executive President, Pere Navarro. He also added that “our participation in Advanced Factories is driven by the aim of sharing experiences with companies in the ecosystem, learning about new developments and the activity of other companies in the sector, and explaining our project to other firms that may be interested in joining DFactory Barcelona”.

This model takes shape through the development of a productive district connected to the port, the airport and the city centre, virtually unique in Europe, where industry once again plays a central role in economic and social progress. “DFactory Barcelona is now the heart of this district: a space where 21st‑century industry lands, collaborates and grows. It is not just a building, but the engine of a new industrial model. DFactory also operates as a real Industry 4.0 laboratory, where technology is tested in productive environments and innovation ceases to be a concept to become a reality, facilitating the transition from the laboratory to the factory,” said the Director General of the CZFB, Blanca Sorigué.

Currently, DFactory Barcelona is operating at 100% capacity, with 45 companies based there working in fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, sensor technology, AI, IoT and cybersecurity, among other technologies. This ecosystem already generates more than 300 direct jobs and over 1,200 indirect jobs, consolidating an environment where collaboration is both a necessity and a new form of competitiveness.

The project continues to grow with an expansion that will bring the total area to 60,000 m², strengthening DFactory’s positioning as one of the largest technological industrial hubs in Southern Europe, with greater capacity to attract companies, talent and investment. Four new buildings are scheduled for completion by the end of this year and are expected to generate 1,500 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs.

The CZFB’s participation in Advanced Factories will continue throughout the week with a series of presentations at its stand led by companies from the ecosystem, showcasing real-world applications of Industry 4.0 technologies in the industrial sector. Notable participating companies include Thinex Rotimpres, Innovae, Apolo Cybersecurity, SiOCAST, Insalon, OCR Genius, YK Robotics, Near and Jota Virtual, among others.