City Science at the service of economic development

Innovation Districts & Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)

Barcelona holds the promise of becoming a thriving metropolis, a world class talent magnet,able to propel the knowledge economy by generating a prosperous and egalitarian society whilst providing a high quality of life for all its citizens. What can be done to turn that promise into reality?

Design Thinking techniques and a Complex Systems approach can help achieving these goals by illuminating the urban diagnostic in an evidence-based manner, while informing design and management decision-making processes byunder standing the metropolitan region as a dynamic urban ecosystem.

This is the innovative approach that the PPP for Cities of IESE Business School and the Barcelona’sCity Council Agenda 2030 Commissionate would like to introduce at the conference “A vision for Barcelona’s future” that will take place at IESE Business School’s premises on March 24th from10:00 to 12:00. We would like to invite you to take part at this conference. Seats are limited, so registration will be on first come-first serve basis.

Speakers 

Keynote and roundtable

The Keynote Speech will be addressed by Ramon Gras, Urban Innovation Researcher at Harvard University and Co-Founder at Aretian, who will introduce us to the concept of City Science and how this can help to define a clear and promising path for Barcelona and the broader metropolitan region.

Following his Keynote, we will have distinguished speakers sharingt heir views in a roundtable discussion thatwill aim to detect the challenges of innovative ecosystems and public-private governance in the Greater Barcelona Metropolitan Area.The confirmed speakers are:

• Miquel Barceló, Advisory Board member of 22@ and the Global Institute of Innovation Districts
• Roberto Gili, CEO of Fractalia Innovation Hubs
• Prof. Andreu Mas-Colell, President of BIST

Moderator: Prof. Joan Enric Ricart, Academic Director of the PPP for Cities and Strategic Management Professor at IESE Business School