trias

Telefonica brings €7.8 million and a downtown building to Barcelona’s Mobile World Capital

October 10, 2012 01:33 AM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

Barcelona will hold, at least until 2018, the status of being the world’s mobile industry capital. Every year Barcelona hosts the world’s main event in this industry, the Mobile World Congress. This event is part of a broader project: the Mobile World Capital, which plans activities and events throughout the year and works to make Barcelona the greatest business and technological centre of the mobile industry. The Spanish telecommunication giant Telefonica announced it will bring €7.8 million to develop this project. Furthermore, it will allow MWCapital to use 1,800 square metres of a building located in Barcelona’s main square – Plaça Catalunya – to show the latest technological developments.

Catalan freight company TCB invests €60 million into the Port of Barcelona’s infrastructure

September 13, 2012 12:29 AM | CNA / David Tuxworth

The Mayor of Barcelona welcomed the company’s investments and commitment to efficiency at the Port of Barcelona. The Catalan harbour is significantly increasing its container traffic in the last few years. Barcelona’s Port aims to become the main logistical hub in Southern Europe, using the international standard rail gauge to directly connect to Central Europe and new freight terminals. The Catalan company TCB is expanding its freight railway station and its power substation, as well as enlarging the ship docking space. The improvements will increase the maximum number of shipping containers transported by TCB from 0.9 million to 2.3 million by the end of 2013.

Xavier Trias completes successful visit to China to promote investment in Barcelona

July 17, 2012 09:50 PM | Paula Mateu / David Tuxworth

The Mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias has finished a seven-day visit to China. The aim of the trip was to promote Barcelona’s economy and attract new foreign investment in the Catalan capital. The Mayor spoke of the trip in a very positive light, pointing out the economic potential of Barcelona and highlighting the Chinese companies’ appreciation for the opportunity to invest in Barcelona.

The foundation to turn Barcelona into a world ‘hub’ of new technologies is born

March 13, 2012 11:48 PM | CNA

Barcelona was declared the Mobile World Capital last summer, and the organising city of the Mobile World Congress until at least 2018. Being the Mobile World Capital means that Barcelona aims to become one of the main world centres for the mobile industry. Furthermore, several projects will be based in the Catalan capital, such as a Mobile World Hub. A foundation has been created to promote these projects and attract investments. It is funded with € 30 million each from Barcelona City Council, the Catalan Government and the Spanish Government, and it is open to the private sector.

Barcelona City Council plans a facelift for Les Rambles

December 21, 2011 07:49 PM | CNA / Sara Gómez

Barcelona’s famous central artery and main tourist street will undergo a major transformation due to the degradation experienced over the last number of years. Barcelona City Council has decided to make Les Rambles an appealing location and presented an investment plan based on six main points. It aims to increase security and to make the street more pleasant to walk on. The plan has a €10 million budget and will be gradually implemented between 2012 and 2018.

Barcelona is becoming an international reference point for smart cities

November 30, 2011 09:53 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

The Catalan capital is hosting the first edition of the ‘SmartCity Expo & World Congress’, which brings together more than 9,000 professionals to discuss interaction between new technologies, urban planning and citizen welfare. In addition, “the father” of electric cars in Asia, Professor Chan, stated that Barcelona has the “great potential” to become the electric car’s “open window to the world”. Last week, the Mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, participated in the 10th Metropolis World Congress held in Brazil, where he met with Cisco Systems Vice President to build an innovation centre focused on smart cities in the Catalan capital.

Barcelona launches itself as one of the main gateways of Europe for Chinese business

October 20, 2011 10:48 PM | CNA / Esther Romagosa

More than thirty Chinese companies and investment agencies have visited Barcelona in search of business opportunities. The Catalan capital is a gateway to the European market for Asian companies, thanks to its sea port, airport, geographic location and a dynamic and well connected economy. In addition, Barcelona is also a leading centre in the Euro-Mediterranean Area.

Trias, from the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition CiU, becomes Mayor of Barcelona, ending 32 years of Socialist leadership

July 2, 2011 07:01 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

A similar change happened in Girona Town Hall, where Carles Puigdemont, also from CiU, also became the first non-Socialist Mayor in the last 32 years, since the restoration of democracy. Barcelona and Girona Town Halls were constituted later than all the rest because of appeals regarding the electoral vote and the number of elected councillors. These two Mayoral offices consolidate CiU’s hegemony in Catalonia, after last May's municipal elections and after last November's Catalan Parliament elections.