Barcelona is positioned as the eleventh European city in the ranking of the 60 large cities in the world best prepared to adapt to the new paradigm of urban mobility, according to the latest edition of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index, prepared annually by the Oliver Wyman Forum in association with the University of Berkeley (California). A prominent position due to the good connection and affordability of the multimodal public transport network, which is complemented by a solid railway system, as reflected in this report.
Mobility is key to the development of society, but important changes must be implemented in the coming years to minimize the impact on the environment and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the 2030 Agenda.
In 2015, nearly 4 billion people lived in cities and this number is expected to rise to around 5 billion by 2030. Therefore, since for the majority of the population the future will be urban, it is essential to establish the foundations for making cities more sustainable also in terms of mobility, because these centers generate a large part of the CO2 emissions. The climate emergency is a reality that shows that mobility must be green and is something that must also mark the future of transportation and logistics.
The progress of mobility is fundamental in the era of the new economy, therefore, this will be one of the key topics in the fourth edition of the Barcelona New Economy Week (BNEW), a disruptive event organized by the Consorci de la Zona Franca of Barcelona (CZFB) at the DFactory Barcelona between October 2 and 5. BNEW will bring together 500 speakers who will offer up to 140 hours of content distributed in 100 panels, sessions and debates to share knowledge and establish synergies that will contribute to the progress of Industry 4.0 and the new economy.
This successful hybrid format - in-person and online - encompasses seven verticals involved in this global transformation: Mobility, Sustainability, Health, Proptech, Digital Industry, Talent and Experience. These panels have been expressly selected, adapting to the most current trends and exploring multiple aspects related to the new opportunities and the dizzying economic transformations that are taking place.
In the BNEW Mobility vertical, companies from the private sector and the public sphere will meet to discuss the best solutions and the most efficient proposals in the field of mobility, focusing on sustainability. Throughout different sessions, we will discuss how mobility can be improved in smart cities; the electric mobility revolution; the regulation of micromobility in Spain and Europe; new business models such as shared and collaborative mobility; corporate mobility and companies before the new Sustainable Mobility Law; sustainable mobility in the Mediterranean region; or futuristic trends in mobility such as vertiports, air taxis, drones; in other aspects.
BNEW Mobility will have the participation of BBVA as BEarth Sponsor of this program. BBVA has the firm purpose of accompanying society and customers in the necessary digital and sustainable transformation that will allow us to draw a green and carbon-free future. Therefore, it works every day to help them achieve their vital and business objectives, with innovation and sustainability as drivers of growth and transformation. In this environment of change, mobility plays a very relevant role, being one of the areas where there is the most energy consumption, most of which comes from fossil fuels. Thus, the commitment to sustainable and connected mobility is imperative to fight against climate change and also a source of economic opportunities and job creation.
This edition of BNEW will also have vertical programs dedicated to sustainability, the digital industry, talent, Proptech and health, in addition to continuing to support the BNEW Experience: a broad cultural proposal where you can enjoy gastronomy, design and art of a city with great attraction such as Barcelona, which will once again surprise all attendees.
All these presentations, spread over three TV sets in the DFactory Barcelona building, turn BNEW into a powerful digital platform for networking, allowing you to reach professionals from different economic sectors, industries, small and medium-sized companies. companies, large corporations, Administrations and Institutions and startups.
This event has been characterized since its inception by its networking potential. In this new edition, it will be encouraged even more with in-person activities, immersive experiences, afterworks, etc. But the CZFB will continue to support a hybrid event thanks to its digital platform where not only can all the presentations be followed, but also - through algorithms based on AI - B2B agendas can be created, optimizing the participants' time with the appropriate target. .
Blanca Sorigué, general director of the CZFB and BNEW, highlights that “BNEW is a reference event in the progress of the new economy, an international meeting point to accelerate change. We have a great responsibility and we want to continue helping in the important transformation process that the industry and society in general are experiencing.”
In this sense, as Pere Navarro, special delegate of the State at the CZFB, explains: “Sustainable mobility must be a priority in the era of the new economy. From the public and private spheres, commitments must be made and synergies established to achieve the EU's decarbonization objectives, and to do so, we must minimize the impact of mobility on the environment. BNEW will allow us to continue learning new formulas to guarantee maximum efficiency in mobility, prioritizing sustainability.”
BNEW 2023 will have 400 participating companies and a forecast of more than 12,000 attendees from 70 countries. To register, the BNEW has a website with information about the event, while the different speakers and participating companies are being announced on the Twitter/X and LinkedIn profiles.
