An institutional delegation from Andorra, led by the Minister of the Presidency, Economy, Labor, and Housing, Conxita Marsol, visited Barcelona on Monday, July 7, including stops at Barcelona City Hall, Barcelona Activa, the 22@ Innovation District, and the Research Park of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. The goal was to learn firsthand about successful models in innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration between public, private, and academic stakeholders.
The day began with a meeting with Mario Rubert, Director of International Economic Promotion at Barcelona City Hall. Following which, Marc Sans, International Economic Promotion Officer at the City Council, presented the services and resources of Barcelona Activa, dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs, startups, and micro-companies. The Andorran representatives also visited the Entrepreneurship Resource Center and the Glòries Business Incubator, both of which provide comprehensive support for new business ventures.
Next, they visited 22@ Barcelona, the Innovation District—a pioneering urban and economic transformation project launched in 2000 that revitalized the Poblenou neighborhood. During the tour, the delegation saw examples of industrial space rehabilitation for new uses, social housing, research centers, and company headquarters such as MEDIAPRO.
The visit concluded at the Research Park of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), where they were welcomed by Rector Javier Lafuente and Carlos Valero Santiago, the park’s managing director. This visit enabled exploration of the university-business collaboration model for knowledge transfer and support for scientific and technological startups.
The Andorran delegation was made up by Marc Saura, Secretary of State for Business, Economic Diversification, and Innovation, Josep Anton Bardina, Secretary of State for Education and Universities, Eva Descarrega, Andorran Ambassador to Spain, Judit Hidalgo, Director of Andorra Business, Marta Domènech, Managing Director of Andorra Research and Innovation and Juli Minoves, Dean of the University of Andorra.
This visit aligns with the strategic objectives of the Andorran Government to consolidate its own model of innovation and economic diversification by forging alliances and exchanging good practices with leading European innovation ecosystems.
