Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona: “innovation must be developed where people live”

In the heart of Via Laietana in Barcelona, we will find Pier07, which is part of the Urban Tech Campus of Tech Barcelona and will be the hub for reference projects in entrepreneurship and innovation in the health and life sciences sector. Nuñez i Navarro has joined Tech Barcelona to attract talent and economic activation to the center of Barcelona. The building, located at Via Laietana, 26, is undergoing a complete rehabilitation incorporating sustainability criteria.

We have spoken with Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona, who welcomes us at the Pier01, the offices at Palau de Mar, a former port warehouse. Martí joined the organization after a professional journey with two clear vectors: technology and innovation. He started his technical career as an engineer, moved into management at an industrial company, later trained in innovation management and resource management at university, and was the director of innovation and finance at Biocat. His background has been very useful when he was suggested to join the Tech Barcelona project. We ask him to tell us more about the organization he leads and to expand on his vision of Barcelona as a tech city.

How was Tech born?
The origin of the ecosystem comes from public efforts, which helped the project to mature. Later, the private sector stepped in to continue driving this project forward and allow public efforts to be directed towards other initiatives.

In 2013, a group of successful entrepreneurs came together and decided to create this organization to assist entrepreneurs and promote entrepreneurship.

What has changed from 2013 to now in Barcelona?The first thing is that the city has become more committed to the technology sector. It believes that there are other possible economies beyond tourism, and these are based on knowledge, talent, creativity, and innovation, qualities that have always been strong points of Barcelona.

What do you think are the new connected realities and which ones are still pending in Barcelona?
The whole area of digital entrepreneurship, new business models, investments, seed-stage projects,seed, the so-called ‘unicorns’, etc. is what has evolved the most and possesses great strength.

The part that still needs to evolve is that we have very good science and we need projects to emerge in order to provide products and services to the citizens, thus valuing all the efforts aimed at training scientists.

On the other hand, we face the challenge of transforming traditional industry and commerce to become more competitive, as the vast majority still have to make the big leap.

Who do you think needs to take the big step?
Generally speaking, I would say that traditional commerce needs to understand that it can change its physical store. The relationship with the customer goes far beyond the visit to the space, engagement must be constant and online sales can be worked on with tools that allow reducing friction with the user.

With the pandemic, many companies have lost elements that made them stable. Now they must be flexible and adaptable organizations, and for that, structural, cultural, and strategic objective changes are necessary.

¿Cómo impulsáis que la tecnología sea un driver en la industria?
Intentamos atraer a todos los que están trabajando con la tecnología desde diversos ámbitos. Hablamos con los sectores tradicionales para que entiendan que la relación con este tipo de compañías también les beneficia. Para nosotros, la tecnología es un driver de cambio y de mejora, una herramienta relevante. 

Having artificial intelligence is not the same as not having it; with it, processes are much more efficient.

Do you think that sectors not closely linked to technology are aware that they can rely on Tech Barcelona?
There are sectors that are starting to get to know us and we are already an option for them. We work with the Directorate-General for Trade and public bodies such as ACCIO, which act as catalysts to help us become known. We also work directly with commercial axes and other associations or boards, for example, with the employers' association Foment del Treball, carrying out projects that promote and encourage female entrepreneurship. With our knowledge, we want to help these traditional sectors become more competitive.

Why are you a non-profit?
This association was created to help people. For-profit companies also want to do so, but there is always an economic interest behind it. We are here to contribute; we need to be economically sustainable, but our core is not economic maximization.

Why do you recommend Barcelona as a tech city for businesses?
Previously, Barcelona wasn't featured in any ranking globally. Nowadays, it ranks among the top 40 tech cities in the world and, at the European level, I would say it's among the top 6.

Since 2017, it has been able to raise over 4 billion euros in investment rounds and have more than one success story; involve the public sector to assist entrepreneurs; have tech schools that are now internationally relevant. All these elements combined have made Barcelona a technologically competitive city. Now, it is 'the city' both for attracting projects and for developing them.

What are your future goals?To make Barcelona a leading tech player. For this to happen, we need to consolidate the brand and everything that hangs from this ecosystem. Create appropriate legal and fiscal frameworks, increase competitiveness, and also have the capacity to attract and invest in projects. The most relevant part is to attract talent, this is the differentiating factor when compared to other cities. On the other hand, we want to grow internationally.

What is the Urban Tech Campus?
The Urban Tech Campus is a way to show that innovation should be developed where people live. There is no better way than to create spaces where people are, instead of doing it on the outskirts of the city.

Habéis anunciado el acuerdo por el que Nuñez i Navarro se incorpora como strategic partner vuestro. ¿Qué os aporta Nuñez i Navarro?
Tenemos una visión compartida, los dos queremos que la tecnología sea uno de los drivers de la ciudad de Barcelona, ir hacia ese cambio y alejarnos un poco del turismo como motor exclusivo de la ciudad.

The fact of finding someone who shares your vision and is willing to allocate assets for the construction of ecosystem projects is a very important contribution given their willingness to be involved.

I am confident that we will discuss the future and continue working together because we share values and that is our vital core. The joint willingness to reclaim the city center for innovative and economic activity is especially relevant, by making its assets available for the construction of ecosystem projects to ensure the attraction and retention of talent.

Where do you think this future is heading?
This shared vision of having spaces where talent is concentrated stands out and is one of the differentiating factors of the city of Barcelona. Since the creation of the Pier01, many people have put Barcelona on the map as a hub for technology. Metrics and indicators have shown that the efforts we are all making are yielding results.

What do you contribute to Nuñez i Navarro?Distinctive content. This concept and the idea of adding it to a more corporate environment, in order to make processes that are usually more robust more flexible. Nuñez i Navarro's commitment to these new needs has been very significant for it to happen.

El Pier07 es un proyecto dedicado a buscar soluciones en el ámbito de la salud y las ciencias de la vida. ¿Cuáles son los puntos diferenciales de las empresas que forman parte de este sector y de las que queréis atraer?
Depende del tipo de empresas. El sector de la salud va desde la biotecnología hasta todo aquello destinado a desarrollar soluciones para enfermedades como el cáncer u otras patologías; y también otras como el healthcare, medicalhealth, healthtech, etc. Nuestra aspiración es que aparte de estas empresas también haya otros stakeholders como firmas de consultoría, inversores… 

What do you think this renovated and sustainable building will mean for the neighbors?

The idea is to bring 500 new people to the neighborhood, people who will dine in restaurants and their establishments and give it life, we hope to bring a different kind of new people to Via Laietana. If we look at what we have done here at Pier01 they are people between 30 and 35 years old and a third are international.

When all these people from other countries arrive in Barcelona and ask you for advice on where to go, what are your recommendations?
If they need to eat or find accommodation, we recommend that they do so in the neighborhood and enjoy the surroundings. We also advise them to visit specific companies to learn who they can network with. Lastly, if they want to get to know the culture a bit, I recommend watching ‘L’ou com balla’; the Mercè festivities; going to a football match or to the theater, from the Teatre Nacional to the Gran Teatre del Liceu.