Barcelona City Council was present at the Smart City Expo World Congress, held in the city this November. During the congress, the Directorate for International Economic Promotion attended to as many as 58 international delegations, with the aim of promoting Barcelona from an economic perspective as part of its economic diplomacy.

The team attended to the visits of up to 960 company representatives and senior managers of public administrations and economic institutions from other countries. This work helps to identify investment projects, business opportunities and projects of interest for the local economy.

An opportunity to show the economic Barcelona to the world

The Smart City Expo was a chance to share the different policies and services offered by the city, with on-site visits to Barcelona Activa facilities and guided tours around the 22@ innovation district. These visits also included explanations of policies aimed at attracting and welcoming direct foreign investment and international talent. Global events such as this provide a great opportunity to arouse interest in our city and share the efforts made by Barcelona City Council to manage the city’s various challenges.

Over the course of 2023, the International Economic Promotion team has attended to 227 delegations from more than 50 different countries, and a total of 2,146 people. The most numerous delegations came from South Korea, the USA and China. In 2024 the city expects to attend to around 239 international delegations.