Barcelona

Barcelona is the number one smart city in Spain, and leads the way in transforming quality of life, safety and equality.

Best Practices

  • European Capital of Innovation Award in 2013-2014. Barcelona was awarded first prize by the European Commission.
  • Strategic plan of the European Commission 2020. Barcelona is participating and supporting this plan based on the output of the economic crisis through the smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
  • Innovation in O- Government with CityOS. A technological transversal data platform able to acquire and process information captured from different sensors and applications distributed all over the city
  • Smart City Innovation Summit. An event gathering 100 European cities as part of the Smart City Expo (www.smartcityexpo.com) which takes place annually in Barcelona.
  • Innovative Project Management Platform (SOA). A web platform will be developed in order to ensure the effectiveness of the meetings at the Summit and build a community of innovative European cities.
  • The Urban Lab consolidates Barcelona’s role as an innovative city and to foster innovation in its business fabric. BARCELONA URBAN LAB was created under this framework as a specific line of action to foster use of the city as an urban laboratory. Through this project, the city is made available to companies with innovative projects to test their infrastructures and services for the future in a real environment. 

Cooperation with China and India

  • BEIJING. Although no formal agreement exists between our cities exchange and relations have been continuous especially during the run-up to the Beijing Olympics and most recently through the Beijing Design Week 2014, where Barcelona participated as guest city.
  • HONG KONG. Friendship and Cooperation Agreement, signed on 31 October 2001. Since the signature of the agreement of friendship and collaboration,  meetings have been held between representatives of both cities both in Barcelona and in Hong Kong, and work is being carried out in various fields, especially in issues related to urban planning, and specifically in the study of the renewal of the seafronts of Hong Kong and Barcelona.  In February 2014 a symposium was held in Hong Kong about this issue. Barcelona will also be participating in the Hong Kong Business of Design Week 2015 as guest City.
  • SHANGHAI. Twinning agreement signed on 31 October 2001. The collaboration between Barcelona and Shanghai is continuous and fluid. In 2010 Barcelona was present in the Shanghai Expo.
  • SHENZHEN. Friendship and cooperation Agreement, signed on 16 July 2012. Since the signing of the agreement, various collaborations have been made in technological fields, of smart cities and communication (mobile) and design with the participation in trade fairs and congresses in both cities. Business relations are also very active. Every year Barcelona participates in the China Hi-Tech Fair held in Shenzhen.
  • DELHI & MUMBAI. Drafting of an agreement for Barcelona’s involvement in the Delhi – Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) through its development agency. DMICDM is India’s most ambitious Infrastructure programme aiming to develop new industrial cities as ‘Smart Cities’ and converging next generation technologies across infrastructure sectors.