PRESS DOSSIER BARCELONA CITY COUNCIL, LLEIDA CITY COUNCIL, 22@BARCELONA AND THE LLEIDA AGRI-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK COLLABORATE TO FOSTER BUSINESS BETWEEN BOTH CITIES 18th April, 2007
INDEX 1. Barcelona city council, Lleida city council, the 22@Barcelona district and the Lleida Agri-Food Science and Technology Park sign an agreement to foster business between both cities -3-2. 22@Barcelona, innovation district -5-3. Lleida Agri-Food Science and Technology Park -6- LLEIDA AGRI-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK 2
1.- BARCELONA CITY COUNCIL, LLEIDA CITY COUNCIL, 22@BARCELONA DISTRICT AND THE LLEIDA AGRI-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK SIGN AN AGREEMENT TO FOSTER BUSINESS BETWEEN BOTH CITIES Agreement signing The Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu, the Mayor of Lleida, Àngel Ros, the 22@Barcelona president, Miquel Barceló, and the vicepresident of the Lleida Agri-Food Science and Technology Park Consortium, Joan Viñas, have signed today a framework agreement that sets up the lines of collaboration in order to foster business between both cities. Both Barcelona and Lleida city councils consider strategic values to attract, create and expand companies of Agri-food Technologies and of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). That is why the agreement tries to take advantage of the different projects that are developed in the 22@Barcelona district and in the Lleida Agri-Food Science and Technology Park (PCITAL) by means of: Agreements - The collaboration with the Landing Programme, an initiative that is jointly promoted by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), the La Salle Innovation Park and 22@Barcelona and that tries to attract international talent and foreign investment to Catalonia and to the innovation district. This highly strategic programme provides foreign business initiatives, technology or knowledge-intensive initiatives with location and cooperation, access to the Catalan innovation system and, it also provides Catalan companies with access to worldwide innovation systems. LLEIDA AGRI-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK 3
- The creation and promotion of a network of institutional and business relationships in those projects that are considered of mutual interest. - Information exchange between the parties and the analysis of the companies located in 22@Barcelona and in the PCITAL so as to promote the exchange of companies, inter-company collaboration and the impetus of common business internationalization activities. - To share the best practices as regards to respective experiences in urban planning, economic management and promotion of technology parks. LLEIDA AGRI-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK 4
2.- 22@BARCELONA, THE INNOVATION DISTRICT Definition Scale The 22@Barcelona Project is transforming the industrial areas of Poblenou into a business, scientific, technologic and cultural hub to consolidate the positioning of Barcelona as one of the main knowledge-based innovation and economy platform at an international level. With this purpose, 22@Barcelona transforms 200 hectares of industrial land of the city centre into a space of high urban quality offering excellent infrastructures and aimed at the strategic concentration of intensive knowledge-based companies and institutions. - Total planning area: o 198,269 hectares, equivalent to 115 housing blocks. - Roof potential: 4.000.000 m² aprox. o Productive activities: 3.200.000 m² aprox. o Other uses (equipment, housing...): 800.000 m² aprox. - Housing: o Recognition of the already existing 4.614 housing units o Between 3.500 and 4.000 new state-subsidized housing units are created (25% for renting) - Green spaces: 114.000 m² of land aprox. - New facilities: 145.000 m² of land aprox. - Jobs increase: 110.000 130.000 aprox. 2006 Important data - Infrastructure Plan investment: 180 million euros - Jobs: 30,000 new jobs in Poblenou - Companies: 350 new companies settled or in the process LLEIDA AGRI-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK 5
3.- LLEIDA AGRI-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK Definition Equipment for knowledge creation and transfer among University, Technology centres, R+D centres and the companies to guarantee innovation, increase of competitiveness and the creation and development of new technology-based companies. Objectives - Promoting economic activities, especially in the food and agriculture sector, by means of technology transfer to the companies. - Stimulating and managing the flow of knowledge and technology among universities, research institutes, companies and the market. - Promoting the creation and growth of innovative companies and of high added value service by providing well-conditioned spaces. - Acting as platform of new business products related to technology. Strategic lines - Development of scientific facilities basically aimed to University s research groups, company labs and advanced activities. - Developing productive spaces basically aimed to companies and cooperatives of the area with technology base and advanced services. - Promoting private research groups that develop R+D+i lines aimed at developing the food industry, the agricultural sector and related industries LLEIDA AGRI-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK 6
Location - The PCiTAL headquarters is sited in a privileged area of Lleida city, the Parc de Gardeny, located in the western part of Lleida, occupying a space of 7,5 ha. - It will also have infrastructures for research located at the university campus and other surrounding spaces Premises - Agricultural and Forestry Resource Centre (CRAF) (It will be part of the Biomics Research Centre) - Agri-food research Institute (IRAL): - Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida (IRB Lleida): - Science and Technology Services of Lleida University (SCTs): LLEIDA AGRI-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARK 7