Barcelona New Economy Week, an event conceived during the state of emergency and the suspension of fairs organised by the CZFB, uses a hybrid format of online and on-site activities, designed to guarantee its international scope and ensure it goes ahead despite the possible restrictions caused by the pandemic.

The four-day event fair includes participation from over 300 experts, distributed into 120 sessions, along with 52 start-ups and 120 companies, who will be displaying their products and services in the BVillage virtual stand. Some 9,000 participants from 91 different countries have already signed up to take part, 90% of whom will be attending virtually.

BNEW can be followed online from any corner of the globe using a digital platform created especially for the occasion, allowing people to take part in programmed activities and online digital meetings.

The generation of new opportunities is actually one of the main goals of the event, which is mainly aimed at businesses and professionals in five economic areas:

• BNEW Logistics: addressing the need to promote public-private alliances for the development of the logistics sector, the growing problem of cybersecurity and the big challenge of gender equality in high-level management.
• BNEW Real Estate: addressing the needs of new urban planning, the lack of affordable housing and the future of the restaurant and hotel sector after the state of emergency.
• BNEW eCommerce: based around generational change and its influence on consumption, as well as the need to move towards more circular, collaborative and sustainable supply chains.
• BNEW Digital Industry: covering topics such as 3D manufacturing, artificial and robotic intelligence, big data, IoT and post-pandemic global connectivity. This section will also debate the importance of creativity for the new economy and green industry, the impact of the 4.0 industry and the sustainable development goals.
• BNEW Economic Zones: analysing the role of economic zones in the new regionalisation, the easing up of customs processes and the talent for maintaining and generating new occupations in economic zones.

BNEW is backed by Mobile World Capital, 22@ Network, Barcelona Tech City, Barcelona Activa and others. It also seeks to act as a showcase for Barcelona’s potential when it comes to enterprise, the 4.0 industry, digital transformation, sustainability, culture, design and innovation.

Although it was conceived during the state of emergency and focuses on tackling the Covid-19 crisis, the event will continue in the next few years and be added to the other events already organised by the CZFB, the International Logistics Fair (SIL), its Latin American edition, the eDelivery and Barcelona Meeting Point (BMP).