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Barcelona is considered to be a core innovation capital in Europe! In fact, the European Commission has awarded the European Capital of Innovation (“iCapital”) prize to Barcelona (Spain) “for introducing the use of new technologies to bring the city closer to citizens”. Barcelona was chosen by a panel of independent experts in a close competition with Grenoble (France) and Groningen (The Netherlands).
Actually Barcelona grows year by year in terms of innovation and this year it made it to the top 5 innovation hubs in the world with top promising startups and events like MWC, IOT, Smart city, etc.
“Barcelona as a people city” project
Several years ago Barcelona launched ‘Barcelona as a people city’ project, introducing new technologies to foster economic growth and the welfare of its citizens. The scheme saw open data initiatives offering valuable information to individuals and private companies; sustainable city growth initiatives on smart lighting, mobility (e-vehicle) and residual energy (heating and cooling networks) and social innovation, tech start-ups. The project also promoted alliances between research centres, universities and private and public partners, as well as helping provide better ‘smart services’ in a flexible, continuous and agile way through ICT. Actually you may see the evolution reading and artile about it here, about how Barcelona became a smart city leader and what initiatives Barcelona offers to create a better place to live.
Barcelona being a core innovation capital deserves winning the First iCapital award
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, said: “Barcelona is a deserving winner of the first iCapital award, for its dedication to using new technology for the benefit of its inhabitants. Still, there were many other great initiatives and proposals, and I want cities and regions to join together and share their experiences. Outstanding initiatives at the local level will contribute to keep turning the European Union into an Innovation Union.”
Innovation Is Central to Economic Growth and Business Competitiveness, and Is at the Heart of the EU’s Europe 2020 Strategy
Two thirds of the EU population now lives in urban areas. These areas therefore have a key role to play in making Europe more innovative, and making these areas more innovative makes them a better place to live.
With the European Capital of Innovation Award, the Commission is recognising those cities which are making major efforts to promote innovation and improving the quality of their citizens’ lives.
Barcelona is proud to be recognized as the icapital of Europe. And it is a paradise and honour for many entrepreneurs to start or do their business in Barcelona.
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