In a global landscape clamoring for reindustrialization and strategic autonomy, the Barcelona Free Zone Consortium (CZFB) has undergone a radical transformation in the last quarter of a century. The entity has evolved from a traditional manager of industrial land to a vibrant driver of the new economy and an epicenter of innovation in Southern Europe. Under the leadership of Pere Navarro, the State's Special Delegate to the CZFB since 2018, the institution has redefined its purpose, basing its strategy on innovation, sustainability, and the creation of economic and social opportunities. With extensive experience, including his time as mayor of Terrassa and first secretary of the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC), Navarro has championed a vision that has brought to fruition landmark projects.
The flagship of this new era is DFactory Barcelona, the largest Industry 4.0 ecosystem in the country. This building, which already houses more than 40 leading companies in robotics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and IoT, has established itself as an international benchmark and a magnet for technology investment. Its success has been such that a second phase, which will triple its size, is already underway. Alongside this hub, the CZFB has fostered the creation of the first European high-tech incubator for 3D printing (3D Incubator), inaugurated in March 2019, and the Logistics 4.0 Incubator, launched in July 2023. Both initiatives, supported by the Incyde Foundation and the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), are accelerating the digitalization of the supply chain. Furthermore, the organization has strengthened its role as a global connector through world-renowned events such as the International Logistics Exhibition (SIL), Barcelona New Economy Week (BNEW), and Barcelona Women Acceleration Week (BWAW), consolidating key public-private partnerships for sectoral advancement. Empresa Exterior speaks with Pere Navarro to analyze the keys to this evolution, the impact of its projects on international competitiveness, and future challenges in the age of artificial intelligence.
In this quarter of a century, the Consorci has undergone a radical transformation, evolving from a traditional industrial land manager to a driver of the new economy. What do you believe has been the defining milestone that has forever changed the role of free trade zones in Europe over these past two decades?
Pere Navarro: We are seeing that free trade zones are not simply a place and time that changes, but rather they have clearly evolved in accordance with the evolution of the world itself, in response to new technologies emerging in manufacturing, transportation, logistics, and sustainability, as well as the emergence of new professions. All of this has led to a renewed emphasis on industry as a driver of wealth creation, and on industrial parks and other areas of economic activity, whether free trade zones or other spaces related to new technologies, so that they can adapt to this new world and create opportunities.
Europe is clamoring for reindustrialization and strategic autonomy, and you have taken the lead by transforming Barcelona into the cathedral of Industry 4.0 in Southern Europe with DFactory. How is this ecosystem already impacting the competitiveness of Spanish companies, and what role does it play in attracting global technology investment?
PN: We have to say that even before the pandemic—because during the pandemic the importance of industry's presence was always emphasized, right?—the return of industry, reindustrialization, we had already wanted to create an ecosystem that would serve as a landing strip for industry. What kind of industry? Industry 4.0. Sensors, robotics, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, 3D printing. And this has taken shape architecturally in DFactory. DFactory is a 17.000 m² building that is already occupied by more than 40 companies that have developed more than 60 patents. This means that these are companies—some of them very important multinationals, others not so large, but with a global market—that have developed more than 60 patents, and this signifies a very clear presence of everything that innovation represents. Therefore, the second phase of DFactory is being planned because the first phase has been a great success and is fully occupied. Therefore, we are seeing how companies are using DFactory not only as a landing platform, but also as a platform for expansion—expanding their activities not only locally, but globally. And we are also seeing that, thanks to the existence of this building, these buildings that will be finished by the end of this year, it is a major attraction, an international benchmark for the establishment of new local or international companies related to these technologies and the industry.
Another of their major projects is the Logistics 4.0 Incubator. In such a volatile international context, how are the startups developing there helping the logistics and international trade sectors to digitize and make their processes more sustainable?
PN: The supply chain is no longer just about transportation; it's about sustainability and the application of something that has emerged recently: artificial intelligence. This technology aims to make logistics chains more efficient from an economic, time, and sustainability perspective. It also encompasses everything related to e-commerce, last-mile delivery, and the transport of finished or semi-finished products within urban areas. All of this is present in companies involved in industry, new technologies, and the new logistics landscape. Logistics has a very important, and increasingly digital, component, applying artificial intelligence and other tools to manage the supply chain. But it's also crucial that this is applied on a local level. Therefore, the combination of these elements is what ultimately emerges. The relationship between industry and logistics also occurs there in the DFactory and throughout our industrial park, which is gradually transforming into a DFactory district of Barcelona.
The CZFB has revolutionized the trade fair format with internationally renowned events such as SIL, BNEW, and BWAW. In a hybrid and digital world, are these physical meeting points still the best tool for internationalizing our economy?
PN: The events we hold throughout the year, such as Barcelona Women Acceleration Week, the International Logistics Exhibition, and Barcelona New Economy Week, clearly demonstrate the importance of creating meeting points for professionals from different sectors. It's crucial that these meeting points allow for the comparison of not only problems and challenges, but also, and above all, solutions. Therefore, these events, linked to all aspects of economic promotion throughout the year, are vital for fostering this connection. These events are clearly world-class, international events, and they also empower professionals with significant decision-making power within their own companies. This is significant because the connections made at these events have a direct impact on the operations of businesses. And something else that is very important is that these events are made possible through a strong partnership between the public sector, like ourselves as a public company, and the private sector. It is through this alliance, through the events and what we do throughout the year, that all these types of activities can advance and evolve.
The Consortium has always had a commitment to public service. Now that AI and robotics are transforming employment, how are they working to ensure this technological revolution translates into new opportunities and talent, while preventing a digital divide?
PN: The application of artificial intelligence is important in all processes related to the economy, as it is in everything related to our daily lives. But as I heard an expert in artificial intelligence say, the most important thing is that there be a foundation of natural intelligence, and therefore, what we try to do is apply natural intelligence and transform artificial intelligence into a tool that serves to generate opportunities. And this must be very well aligned with what we call talent. Ultimately, when we talk about talent, we are talking about people and about training people who must acquire the necessary characteristics and knowledge to apply this acquired talent to the needs not only of economic activity, but also to the general needs of society. And therefore, natural intelligence combined with artificial intelligence, and also with the desire that talent creation and training be linked to a better quality of life. This is what for us is a basic public service, which is what we try to do from the Free Zone Consortium in partnership, as I said before, also with the private sector.
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