We interviewed Anna Majó, Director of Strategic Sectors and Innovation at Barcelona Activa, to learn more about the blue economy and discover some projects, conferences, and competitions that, like the 37th America’s Cup, will focus on the sustainability of the marine world.
Marine and aquatic ecosystems are not only essential for human life but also represent an economic engine and determine the future of businesses. That’s why the Barcelona City Council promotes the city’s blue sectors through a wide range of sustainable measures and projects that will set the agenda for the coming months. We spoke with Anna Majó to discover the importance of some of them.
Horse: What is the connection between Barcelona and the Blue Economy?
Anna Majó: Barcelona opened up to the sea during the Olympic Games as a leisure space for citizens and tourism. But the economic opening didn’t come until much later, in 2021, with the Blue Economy promotion strategy.
Horse: How would you define the concept of the Blue Economy? Which sectors is it linked to?
A.M.: We refer to the economy linked to water and the sea, which has sustainability as part of its DNA. Here come 12 very diverse sectors, the most consolidated ones including port logistics, passenger and freight transport, fishing, water treatment, and tourism.
But there are also emerging sectors such as biotechnology and energy. They are very diverse, and some of them were not aware of being part of the blue economy; that’s why we created a public-private collaboration forum to connect them.
Horse: This somewhat recalls the concept of Smart Cities.
A.M.: Exactly, because the concept of Smart Cities brings together urban sectors that had not been related before, for example, mobility, cleanliness, or parks and gardens. However, it’s important to note that the Blue Economy is an aspirational concept, as absolute sustainability is difficult (or impossible) to achieve.
“The Blue Economy is an aspirational concept, as absolute sustainability is difficult (or impossible) to achieve.”
Economic Impact for the City
A.M.: The sectors that are part of the Blue Economy account for 4.3% of the city’s GDP and about 16,000 jobs, which translates to 1.4% of Barcelona’s employment. It’s important to consider that the sea is the planet’s lung, as one out of every two breaths of oxygen comes from the sea, and it represents between 3 and 7% of the world’s GDP.
Horse: The Blue Economy is also closely linked to regenerative economy.
A.M.: Yes, it’s part of the Blue Economy in its purest sense. We want the most consolidated sectors, such as fishing, logistics, or passenger and freight transport, to be sustainable, and for new sectors to already consider sustainability in their DNA.
“The sectors that are part of the Blue Economy account for 4.3% of the city’s GDP and about 16,000 jobs, which translates to 1.4% of Barcelona’s employment.”
Strategies from Barcelona
Horse: Tell us about the Blue Economy strategy of the Barcelona City Council.
A.M.: It’s a city strategy, with a wide range of initiatives because we have collaborated with different actors, such as the Port of Barcelona, the UPC, the CSIC, business clusters… We want to generate employment, define occupational niches, and provide training to citizens so they can access new job opportunities.
We also want to position Barcelona as a city that bets on the Blue Economy and wants to be the Mediterranean capital of the Blue Economy.
One of the projects to highlight is the transformation of the Olympic Port, which clearly bet on the blue economy, along with other uses related to popular nautical activities and catering. It will be an area transformed into a center for blue economy companies.
Horse: Explain to us the B-Blue Barcelona Activa entrepreneurship project.
A.M.: This project aims to accelerate proposals related to the Blue Economy. This includes helping to develop a business plan, securing initial clients, or supporting projects in their search for funding. We want to create companies that generate new employment.
Horse: Can you give us an example of a project?
A.M.: The winner of the first edition was a company that used sea salt to produce a food supplement. The second edition proposed a chemical-free treatment to apply to underwater surfaces. We’ve also had projects of textiles made from marine plastic waste or the creation of proteins from algae.
“Through the B-Blue Barcelona Activa entrepreneurship project, we want to create companies that generate new employment linked to the Blue Economy.”
Barcelona on the International Map
Horse: Why do you think the Blue Economy has accelerated noticeably in the last ten years?
A.M.: The climate emergency has brought it back to the table. The European Union is also making a very important commitment, and there are more and more entities working on it. It’s important to note that it had been a regional or supranational concept, as cities do not have the capacity to regulate maritime activity. However, the new OECD study, “Cities going blue,” defines Barcelona as a pioneer of this economy and emphasizes the role of cities in it.
Horse: Barcelona will host many blue events during this year, and one of the most important will be the America’s Cup. What does it represent for the city?
A.M.: The America’s Cup gives us an ideal momentum for the world to look at Barcelona. Studies say it will have an impact of 1800 million euros and 19 thousand jobs. It’s also an opportunity to generate more infrastructure in the city, for example, in the area of the Port of Barcelona, which will have a subsequent use.
On the other hand, the Olympic Port has a pre-existing project that will host the city’s first blue economy company center. Due to the America’s Cup, they have accelerated the schedule of the works, mainly in the catering area.
Rendering image of what Barcelona’s Olympic Port will look like in early 2024. Renders: BSM / BR
In terms of sustainability, the Olympic Port will have two ultra-fast chargers for electric boats, collecting energy through photovoltaic pergolas. The green energy produced will be stored in the port itself, and the chargers will be operational by the end of next summer, coinciding with the 2024 Sailing America’s Cup.
Horse: The event will also feature the Barcelona DNA, right?
A.M.: Yes. For the first time, at the facilities of the Olympic Port, there will be competitions for young people and women. Projects like “Viu la Vela” or “Mirada Blava” have also been devised, which encourage children to get involved in sailing. Additionally, there will be an opening ceremony, for the first time in America’s Cup history, which will bring the competition closer to the public. Barcelona will have a legacy from the event, which will continue to live on long after.
The AC40 sailing yacht has been designated for the Youth America’s Cup and for the debut of the new women’s competition, the Puig Women’s America’s Cup, which will take place in Barcelona in 2024.
“The America’s Cup gives us an ideal momentum for the world to look at Barcelona. Studies say it will have an impact of 1800 million euros and 19 thousand jobs.”
Other Relevant Events
Horse: What other events related to the Blue Economy will Barcelona host?
A.M.: Barcelona will host the UN Conference on the Decade of the Oceans in 2024, where there will be a space for debate on the sea as an economic asset. I would also like to highlight the past edition of the Smart City Expo World Congress. An international event on cities held in November, which prominently incorporated the Ocean as part of the City’s debate and addressed topics related to the Blue Economy, with the participation of more than 30 European companies and startups in this field.
Anna Majó during a speech at Smart City Expo World Congress
“Barcelona will host the UN Conference on the Decade of the Oceans in 2024, where there will be a space for debate on the sea as an economic asset.”
Also, the Tomorrow.Blue economy salon is the new global summit where companies, institutions, and experts from around the world meet to address the development, opportunities, and challenges of the blue economy. Its first edition was held within the framework of the Smart City Expo World Congress 2022.
These events help position the city as a space where the blue economy is promoted.
Horse: You’ve been talking to institutions and representatives from various blue sectors for many months. What has impacted you the most in learning about the marine world?
A.M.: When you enter this world, you realize that there are many people with a great passion. It’s surprising to see the number of people who dedicate not only their work but also their free time to improve the marine world. In addition to occupying 70% of our planet, the sea provides food, oxygen, and economy.
“It’s surprising to see the number of people who dedicate not only their work but also their free time to improve the marine world.”
Horse: Finally, how do you see Barcelona in the future?
A.M.: I don’t have a crystal ball, but I’m clear that Barcelona will be an innovative city, as it always has been, and that sustainability will be one of its main vectors. But we need other cities to join this movement and for other agents to work so that we can achieve livable, innovative, and sustainable cities.
