Innovative Solutions in Key Sectors

BNEW 2026 consolidates itself as a showcase for innovative solutions from key sectors of the new economy

The Barcelona New Economy Week (BNEW), organized by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), has today put an end to its seventh edition, reaffirming itself as the reference event for the new economy with an outstanding participation of attending professionals. During these three days, more than 12,000 professionals, from 96 different countries, have been able to follow the different sessions, panels and debates on the new socioeconomic and technological challenges faced by companies, large corporations and startups that develop their activity in one of the eight sectors chosen in this edition: Agrofood, AI, Science, Talent, Health, Aviation & Space, Gaming and Energy. In addition, this new edition of BNEW has registered more than 11,753 networking contacts among the different attendees, many of them made through the digital platform BNEW Platform, developed by the CZFB.

Innovation has been one of the main protagonists in practically all sessions, as well as in the proposal of experiential activities, but especially during the morning of today on the set of BNEW Talent where the pitches of the 40 finalist projects of the Startup Innovation Hub BNEW 2026 have been carried out. Gamification tools for medical experiences for children, autonomous devices with energy independence to communicate with AI without the need for mobiles or computers, development of innovative therapies to treat rare diseases that lack effective treatments, detection of tumor cells using advanced techniques, technological ecosystems that allow to design AI applications made to measure for companies, reuse solutions of agri-food packaging or hydrogen propulsion systems for professional drones, are just a few examples of the innovations presented this morning.

Pere Navarro, executive president of the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona, highlighted, as the final balance sheet of this sixth edition that “we Navarro also stressed that “the more than 50 immersive experiences have allowed people to be brought together in a tangible way. We close this edition with more opportunities, more collaboration and the certainty that the future is already part of our present. See you in 2027 to continue building the new economy together.”

Blanca Sorigué, general director of the Barcelona Free Trade Zone Consortium, said: “This seventh edition of BNEW has once again demonstrated that innovation is much more powerful when you can live in the first person. For three days, attendees have been able to see, touch, experiment and understand how technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics or sustainable mobility are already transforming key sectors of our economy.” Sorigué added that “BNEW was born to connect worlds that did not always dialogue with each other and, seven years later, it has established itself as a great showcase of applied innovation. Our goal remains to bring these transformations closer to companies and citizens in a didactic, inspiring and tangible way, projecting Barcelona as an international reference of the new economy and innovation.”

The content program has today focused the debate on the new verticals Gaming and Energy.

Gaming, a whole industry behind the game

The set of BNEW Gaming has been the meeting point of experts and professionals from one of the most influential industries in the new economy that have analyzed, among other issues, the opportunities for growth of the sector, the contribution of AI to the development of video games and its transformation in general, the change of business paradigm and the real impact of this industry on society, beyond entertainment. It should be noted that the focus has also been on the ecosystems dedicated to this industry, highlighting the case of Spain, with Barcelona at the forefront, as a hub of competitiveness, talent and growth for a sector that already generates more than 2,200 million euros and has around 23 million players in our country, which means that about half of the population (47.5%) maintains some type of relationship with gaming.

Among the brands that have put a voice to the debate of this vertical, stand out: Joan Francesc Bañó, executive director of GameBCN ; Raúl Enrique Orrego, general director of Gameloft Barcelona ; Ivan Zaguirre, Head of Studio Socialpoint ; Aïda Figuerola, founder of Gamex ; Joan Arnedo, professor-aggregate of the UOC ; Fernando Fernández-Aranda, section head of the Clinical Psychology Service in the Hospital UBSerius Games Lab Mediapro Exhibitions Tilting Point Generalitat de Catalunya Barcelona & Partners Virmidex Virtual Experience

Focus on the energy transition

For its part, BNEW Energy has brought together companies, administrations, SMEs and startups, which have deepened the debate of a sector that is in full transformation, with numerous challenges at the forefront and with an eye on sustainability. This set has discussed energy innovation, data centers, hydrogen and alternative fuels, the challenges and new energy storage systems, the importance of data, AI and cybersecurity, the decarbonization of the tourism sector and the new era of the energy-smart company, among other highlights.

The seventh edition of the Barcelona New Economy Week has had the collaboration of more than 50 partners and media partners, as well as the support and sponsorship in different areas of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Provincial Council, Merlin Properties, Loom, the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona, BBVA, Caixabak, Ibercaja, Aena, Port de Barcelona, Veolia and La Vanguardia.

The Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona has confirmed that the eighth edition of the Barcelona New Economy Week will take place in October 2027 in DFactory Barcelona, and that one of the main novelties will come from the expansion of the facilities and the development of the DFactory Barcelona District.

About the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona :

The Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona is a public company that acts as a driver of technological and industrial development by supporting companies in their transition towards the digital era, because of CZFB’s strategic vision to lead Industry 4.0.

It promotes District 4.0 by driving the transformation of Industry 4.0 from the DFactory Barcelona technological ecosystem, champions innovation through the 3D Incubator and the Logistics 4.0 Incubator and connects the new economy and its key socioeconomic sectors. It organises congresses of economic interest for Barcelona, such as Spain’s and southern Europe’s largest logistics fair, SIL, as well as major flagship events in an innovative format such as Barcelona New Economy Week (BNEW) and Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week (BWAW).

Its plenary includes representatives from the Spanish government, the Generalitat of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council, and the city’s main economic institutions.

CZFB Can be contacted at :

FaceBook | Instagram | LinkedIn | X | YouTube | BKSY

For more information:

Lluís López Yuste
Director – Departament de Comunicació
Department of Corporate Communication of CZFB

Av. del Parc Logístic, 2-10
Pol. Ind. Zona Franca – 08040 Barcelona

Lluís López Yuste can be contacted at :

LinkedIn | E-mail | Website | Tel: +34 609 358 475 | Tlf. 932 638 111

ABOUT Barcelona New Economy Week – BNEW 2026

Barcelona New Economy Week – BNEW is a physical and digital B2B event that gathers unique events of the sectors of AGROFOOD, AI, AVIATION & SPACE, ENERGY, GAMING, HEALTH, SCIENCE and TALENT. They all share a common denominator: New Economy.

BNEW 2026 Can be contacted at :

LinkedIn | Website | Twitter | YouTube Channel | Instagram

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