Traditional and modern, local and global, elite and touristy: Barcelona is a city of surprising contradictions, which, along with the warm weather, the sea, and the lively people, make it undoubtedly one of the most attractive cities in Europe.
City of Barcelona — view from above
One of the most hectic and cosmopolitan cities on the planet, the Catalan capital has been considered the smartest metropolises in the world, also leading to the emergence of a series of events and initiatives such as the “Smart Cities Expo World Congress”, the greatest mutual exchange of information and ideas between world capitals which touches on key issues such as air contamination, noise pollution, and waste management.
To improve and increase the interactions between the international community and the local firms and institutions District 22@ was built. Born from an ambitious visionary project at the end of the 20th century, the District transformed and modernized a large area of the city into a technology hub with cutting-edge companies. Located in the Poblenou area, the 22@ was designed to stimulate the economic growth of the city, aiming to focus on technology and information. However, there are more than just businesses: the 22@ also comprises residential areas, parks, infrastructure, and services. What’s the point of designing a district dedicated to innovation? The proximity of companies enables the creation of meaningful interaction between people, which, as a consequence, generates new opportunities for business and entrepreneurship.
A part of the 22@Barcelona, view from the sea Attribution: Jorge Franganillo
To date, the 22@District is an example of innovative urban design for cities worldwide. The area has gradually transformed into a dynamic, vibrant, and international neighborhood full of activities dedicated to knowledge, both in professional and academic fields, creating new employment, housing, and workspaces. After years of urbanistic projects, this district of Barcelona now hosts the headquarters of large companies and is destined to grow more and more. Some of the most well-known companies present in the 22@ district of Barcelona are: — Mediapro — Aenor — Amazon — Cisco Systems — T-Systems Recently, however, due to the increasing trend of teleworking, several offices have been left empty. This has led to a decrease in rental prices of buildings, which, on the bright side might encourage several companies to settle in the 22@.
European cities are committing to their smart transformation, investing time and energies into research aimed toward increased sustainable mobility, more transparent governance, energy efficiency, and the development of clean technologies that can improve the quality of life for their citizens. When it comes to cutting-edge cities, as a fact, Europe sets an example for the entire world. European cities have higher population densities, a greater focus on sustainability, and, above all, great attention to culture, and recent technologies.
At Trusted Corporation, we successfully connect Japanese corporations with European startups and European corporations with Japanese startups and SMEs.