From innovation to action: this is how BNEW drives the new economy

The Barcelona New Economy Week brings together experts from different sectors at DFactory Barcelona from October 5 to 7 to analyze the challenges of the new economy. The event focuses its program on how technologies such as artificial intelligence, energy transitions, or new talent dynamics are already being applied in business activities. Far from theoretical approaches, the event promoted by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona opts for a practical approach centered on its real impact on business.

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For three days, the event structures its content into eight verticals that combine specialization and a cross-sectional view. To the areas already present in the previous edition –Talent, Aviation & Space, and Health– five new axes are added this year: AI, Energy, Agrofood, Gaming, and Science. The expansion diversifies the agenda and strengthens its connection with key sectors of the current economy.

The program is organized by thematic blocks. The first day, which will take place on the 5th, focuses on artificial intelligence, science, and agro-food, with sessions that address the impact of AI on business, its application in public administration, or the debate on European technological sovereignty. At the same time, the agrofood area introduces issues such as water management or regenerative agriculture, while science broadens the focus to innovation in materials, nanotechnology, or interdisciplinary research.

The second day focuses on talent, health, and the aerospace sector. The sessions on talent –which continue on the third day– address how artificial intelligence is changing selection and professional development processes, as well as retention challenges in a global market. In parallel, the health area analyzes everything from new therapies to the value of clinical data, while the Aviation & Space block explores the strategic role of the industry in areas such as defense or technological innovation.

The last day, which will be held on the 7th, broadens the focus to energy and gaming, two sectors with strong projection. In the energy field, the debate centers on issues such as the role of data centers, hydrogen development, or the evolution towards smarter consumption models. In gaming, the sessions analyze the sector as an economic industry and as an innovation space, with applications that go beyond entertainment. This third day will also host the pitches of prominent startups from each of the sectors present at this edition of the event.

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The program will bring together nearly 270 national and international experts in more than 50 sessions distributed across different stages. Among them, profiles such as Fernando de Santos, IAON coordinator at Ibercaja; Alfonso Cossío, Director of Applications Iberia at Oracle; Diego Perino, Director of IA Factory at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center; Consuelo Rebolledo, Talent Manager at MWC; Laia Parellada, HR Manager Spain and Portugal at EasyJet; or Antoni Paz, Executive Director of KIMBCN.

Representatives from the business, technological, and health sectors will also participate, such as Jorge Juan Fernández, Chief Innovation Manager at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona; Antoni Gilabert, Innovation Director at Hospital del Mar; Gemma Marfany, Professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona; Olga Martínez, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Bimbo EMEA; Olga Escriu, Director of Corporate and Business Banking Solutions in Catalonia at BBVA; Joan Francesc Bañó, Executive Director at GameBCN; or Susana Jiménez-Murcia, Head of the Clinical Psychology Service and Professor of Psychology at Hospital de Bellvitge, among others.

The diversity of profiles –business, research, and public management– and topics allows building a broad vision of ongoing changes. The sessions prioritize concrete cases and applied experiences, aiming to offer useful keys in a transforming economic environment.