Tech Barcelona will join forces with the real estate group Nuñez i Navarro (NiN) to launch new innovation centers in Barcelona, explained Miguel Vicente, president of Tech Barcelona, at the presentation of Pier07 that they jointly promote at Via Laietana, 26 in Barcelona. “We share the same vision of the city -said Vicente-. The same interest in recovering strategic spaces in Barcelona and turning them into vectors that promote the digital transformation that the city needs”.
Miquel Martí, general director of the association, pointed out that beyond Pier 07, where the health and life sciences hub of the Urban Tech Campus will be located, the alliance with the real estate company is not expected to translate into immediate projects, since "It is based on the fact that we share the same strategic vision and that NiN also focuses on projects with a long-term horizon."
Tech Barcelona is a non-profit association that represents some 1,200 companies and acts as a "content curator" or manager of the space, in which the tenants and users pay the owner of the property, which at Pier 07 will be NiN, as at Pier 01 it is a concession company of the Port of Barcelona and at Pier 02 a family owner.
NiN has invested 7 million euros in the transformation of the building. Daniel Soria, director of the rehabilitation project, explained that the building, built in the 1930s and destined for offices, recovers the façade and transforms the interiors to gain light, open spaces, visually connect the Via Laietana façade with that of the street of l'Oli. In addition, the reform will allow the building to obtain the Leed, Well and Wired certifications, for sustainability, well-being for its occupants and connectivity. The reform will end in September, so that Pier 07 can be operational in the last quarter of the year.
Miquel Martí explained that the social changes that the pandemic has brought further boost the concept of the Tech Barcelona Piers. “Now the location of the offices, the quality of the building and the type of companies with which the spaces are shared are even more important for companies that want to attract talent,” he said. The firm is going to specialize its spaces "by sectors, vertically, and not by technologies, since many of them, such as blockchain or big data, are transversal and affect many areas," explained Miguel Vicente. "The key is that the best professionals want to be with others who do the same and who, like them, also aspire to change the world," he added.
The Via Laietana 26 building, where the Generalitat's Department of Digital Policies was based, has a surface area of 1,000 m2 and will accommodate around 500 people. Along with office space, there will be event and conference spaces. “We want to create a space for connectivity and transmission of knowledge. Generate community. And that there is a mix of users, from emerging companies, large and small, to large pharmacies and investors”, explained Vicente. The group has already pre-rented 20% of the space. The firm also plans to have collaboration agreements with large hospitals such as Bellvitge and Vall d'Hebron. “It is this mixture that creates wealth, and that made Pier 01 chosen by Forbes as one of the best innovation hubs in the world”, added Vicente.
