Building by the Sea: Pier 01 Barcelona Tech City

By Javier Castillo - July/26/2016

Soon after the Brexit announcement last month, many economists and industry experts were prophesying that several major cities in Europe would benefit by becoming the new destination for international financial and technology firms.

Source: www.lavanguardia.com

While it’s certain many of these will see an influx of new business, companies, investments, and growth -- due to the UK fallout -- we all know the future is impossible to predict. Nonetheless, Barcelona is one of the often-cited cities to be a benefactor of London’s departure from the EU. And, while the city doesn’t really have a strong financial industry -- compared to say Frankfurt or Paris -- many startups and technology companies have sprung up in the last five years making the city, at present, an established and innovative tech hub. To further that point, Pier 01, the new 10.000 square meters startup headquarters that has taken more than 2 years and 3.5 million euros to develop, will surely become a reference in the city when one thinks about cutting-edge organizations, entrepreneurs, and the growing technological industry. Pier 01’s location is inside the 19^th century Palau de Mar brick building and will house more than 80 startups which include the likes of ByHours, HolaLuz, and Letgo.

Source: www.elperiodico.com

Besides offices, the space will conduct conferences, training sessions, and workshops catering to entrepreneurs as well as national and international companies. Regading the idea behind the name, CEO of Barcelona Tech City - Miquel Marti – explains that a “pier is where the boats arrive and get shelter, and that is what we’re doing for Barcelona startups, giving shelter.” According to President Miguel Vicente, it will be one of the largest “homes for entrepreneurs” in Europe in due time. And so, Barcelona will continue its claim of being a ever-growing hotbed for startups, entrepreneurs, VCs, and the like. All this will continue to put the city on the global map and echo the “Barcelona Inspires” motto the city adopted years back and which continues to ring true today.