Cluster Catalonia Logistics attended the first day of BNEW 2026, Barcelona New Economy Week, an event organised by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona, taking place from 5 to 7 October and bringing together companies, professionals and experts to discuss the main challenges and opportunities of the new economy.
BNEW’s programme is structured around eight areas: AI, Agrofood, Science, Gaming, Aviation & Space, Talent, Health and Energy, providing a meeting point to share knowledge, generate new opportunities and gain first-hand insight into the trends shaping different sectors.
During the first day, on 5 October, we had the opportunity to attend several activities and, in particular, the session “The Age of AI: European Technological Sovereignty”, held as part of the BNEW AI area. The session was moderated by Jara Forcadell, head of Innovation and Business in Artificial Intelligence at Fundació i2CAT, and featured Juan Carlos Ibáñez, AI Director at Hubmaster Warehouse Automation System, Joan Lluís Mas, scientific director of Digital Technologies at Eurecat, Jaume Miralles Solé, director general of Artificial Intelligence, Efficiency and Data at the Government of Catalonia and Diego Perino, Director of the BSC AI Institute at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS).
As the title of the session suggests, the central topic was European technological sovereignty and the need for companies and institutions to develop their own capabilities in artificial intelligence in order to reduce their dependence on external actors. The discussion focused on issues such as data sovereignty, infrastructure, technology providers and the ability to make informed decisions about the tools we incorporate into our organisations.
The session also highlighted the importance of moving towards AI solutions adapted to each company’s specific needs, while ensuring data protection and reducing dependencies. In this context, scalability, reducing reliance on a single provider and having alternative options available, together with the development of new professional profiles, will be key to strengthening technological sovereignty and Europe’s capacity to make its own decisions.
For the logistics sector, these reflections are particularly relevant. AI is already transforming processes, operations and supply chains, but its adoption must be accompanied by a strategic vision that enables companies to maintain control over their data, adapt to technological changes and turn innovation into real value.
We would like to thank the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona for creating spaces such as BNEW, which bring together knowledge, technology, companies and talent and encourage dialogue around the challenges that will shape the future of our economy.
At the Cluster, we will continue to take part in these initiatives to bring the latest trends and opportunities shaping the new economy closer to our sector and contribute to its innovation and transformation.
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