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STUDY AND RESEARCH

Barcelona is innovation

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  • GSMA Mobile World Congress

    This is the most important mobile technology fair in the world, where the latest innovations from the big companies are put on show.

  • Mobile World Capital

    It promotes the development of the mobile and digital ecosystem, helping to position Barcelona as a leading global digital hub. It also hosts the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona and has launched 4 Years From Now (4YFN), the start-up platform found at all MWC events around the world.

  • decidim.barcelona

    The digital and democratic participation platform that is open to citizens.

  • BIT Habitat

    A foundation that promotes urban innovation (social, economic, technological and environmental) to respond to the new challenges faced by cities.

  • Barcelona Innova Week

    Barcelona Innova Week, formerly Smart City Week, is a space for experimentation, reflection and dialogue on the relationship between people, technologies and cities.

  • Fab labs

    A public service which informs the citizens of developments in technology and the science of digital fabrication.

  • 5G Barcelona

    A public-private initiative which seeks to position Barcelona and Catalonia as an innovative, open environment for validating and adopting 5G technologies and applications in real life settings.

Innovation in Barcelona

Talking about Barcelona is to speak about the world mobile capital and an international benchmark in the use of technology as a way of managing a city intelligently. It is the number one smart city in Spain.

Its desire to be ever more intelligent is turning it into one of the most attractive cities in the world and a great brand.

Barcelona is...

  • Smart City

    Barcelona is the number one smart city in Spain, ranked fourth in Europe, and leads the way in transforming quality of life, safety and equality.

  • Supercomputing

    Barcelona is home to the Mare Nostrum supercomputer, one of the most important research infrastructures in Europe.

  • Applications

    Barcelona is committed to developing mobile applications to improve people's quality of life.

  • Electric Vehicles

    Barcelona is committed to electric vehicles and is the testing ground for various initiatives like the "LIVE" project.

  • ICT

    In southern Europe the Catalan capital leads the way in adopting ICTs and it has one of the highest ICT penetration rates in homes and businesses.

  • Open Data

    Open Data Barcelona is at the forefront of open data. There are currently around 300 data sets on the city.

  • Mobiles

    World Mobile Capital, Barcelona is a global benchmark in the application of mobile technologies to improve quality of life.

A smart city

The continual spirit of innovation and the desire to apply these advances to many, diverse fields has made Barcelona a world leader in architecture, design, the performing arts, food, sport, tourism, scientific research, knowledge and the social environment.

Barcelona is the Mobile World Capital, the global benchmark city for innovation and talent in the field of mobile phones, and each year it organises the GSMA Mobile World Congress.

Living innovation

The Catalan capital has demonstrated its readiness for innovation with an advanced network of infrastructures, like Wi-Fi in the streets, meaning 500 free access points across all the city's neighbourhoods, a fibre optic network and the development of 5G technology. In addition to this, there is District 22@Barcelona, an important platform that makes Barcelona one of the most dynamic cities in the field of innovation.

The city has developed and consolidated a large number of mobile applications to make it easier for residents and visitors alike to access useful information and to make their lives easier. On an international level, Barcelona is also a pioneering city for open data.

Innovation has also been applied to mobility and transport with initiatives such as the new bus network, which incorporates technological features that provide information to its users.

Barcelona has become a testing ground where technology companies such as Microsoft, HP, Telefónica, Abertis Telecom, Schneider Electric, Cisco Systems and GDF Suez test initiatives such as smart traffic lights, traffic control systems, fibre optics, sensors in selective waste collection containers, smart water and gas meters for homes and LED public lighting. BIT Habitat is the foundation that promotes innovation in new urban services through collaborative projects with companies.

In southern Europe, Barcelona leads the way in adopting Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), with one of the highest ICT penetration rates in homes and businesses, as well as pioneering the development of e-Government. The city is a hub for companies in the ICT sector1, boasting technology parks, technology and research centres and internationally-renowned scientific facilities such as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center.

  • Open Data Barcelona

    Barcelona makes information from City Hall and the city itself available to users as open data.

  • Endolla

    The largest public electric vehicle charging network in Spain.

  • Cibernàrium

    This is one of Barcelona Activa's technological training and information programmes aimed at professionals and companies.

  • Barcelona a la butxaca

    A mobile app which offers the main municipal mobile services for city residents from a single access point.

  • BIT Habitat

    A foundation that promotes urban innovation (social, economic, technological and environmental) to respond to the new challenges faced by cities.

  • Fab Labs

    A public service which informs the citizens of developments in technology and the science of digital fabrication.