Jaume Collboni and Pello Rodríguez inaugurate Barcelona Circular (BAC), a new hub for industrial digital transformation and the circular economy

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Jaume Collboni and Pello Rodríguez inaugurate Barcelona Circular (BAC), a new hub for industrial digital transformation and the circular economy

Inauguration

Jaume Collboni and Pello Rodríguez inaugurate Barcelona Circular (BAC), a new hub for industrial digital transformation and the circular economy

A hub for industrial and sustainable transformation in a strategic location

2025·10·30

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The new facility is located at Carrer Ciutat d’Asunción 16, in the Bon Pastor district (Sant Andreu), and spans 3,400 m² across three floors. Its spaces are designed around four strategic pillars:

  • Talent and training. The hub offers practical, hands-on learning directly connected to the realities of industry and business, using the learning by doing methodology. The official Bachelor’s Degree in Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation (LEINN) is already underway, with over 200 young participants who have created 16 companies and launched 300 projects, as well as the University Master’s in Strategic People Management. Both are official degrees from Mondragon Unibertsitateko Enpresagintza Fakultatea. The facility will also offer training programmes tailored to the needs of Bon Pastor’s industrial network.
  • Entrepreneurship and new business models. BAC positions itself as a center to drive the transformation of Barcelona’s industry through entrepreneurship. It offers incubation and acceleration programmes for projects, startups, and consolidated companies aimed at fostering the circular economy and the digital transformation of SMEs. The facility includes 50 coworking spaces, a digital manufacturing workshop, and a materials optimization and waste reduction lab. The hub currently hosts organizations such as the Catalan Waste Cluster, the TechTourism Cluster, the Plástico Precioso association, and the Eix Besòs business association.
  • Business competitiveness and innovation. The new hub includes an innovation lab designed to help industrial SMEs address current challenges. It will identify new ideas and methodologies through innovation processes, and its prototyping space will be available for companies to develop their own solutions. BAC will also promote the integration of young talent into the industrial network to boost competitiveness.
  • Connection with the community. BAC offers free public programming on innovation, business model transformation, leadership, entrepreneurship, circular economy, and Industry 4.0. It targets both sector professionals and young people, fostering collaboration and synergies. Additionally, the space is available for ecosystem events that strengthen the local innovation community.

Bon Pastor: a key area in the city’s industrial network

The Bon Pastor district plays a strategic role in Barcelona’s industrial landscape. The Eix Besòs industrial zones cover 75 hectares along the right bank of the Besòs River, spanning the Sant Andreu and Sant Martí districts and the municipality of Sant Adrià de Besòs. The area is home to more than 700 companies, directly or indirectly employing around 26,000 people, and generating €550 million in added value for the city. Although major companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Puig, and Henry Colomé operate in the area, 91% of the businesses are SMEs.

A renovation aligned with sustainability goals

The BAC building, municipally owned, has been renovated following circular economy principles. These include the use of safe, healthy, and recyclable or biodegradable materials. The project aims to eliminate the concept of waste by employing systems that mimic natural cycles, rely on renewable energy, and follow a modular design.

The design emphasizes simplicity, adaptability, and environmental respect. Cable use has been reduced through the use of Wi-Fi-controlled lamps made from 3D-printed recycled plastic, making BAC the first building in Europe to be fully equipped with 3D-printed lighting. Photovoltaic panels have been installed for energy generation, as well as natural light and presence sensors to optimize consumption, a rainwater and condensation collection system, and furniture made from materials recovered from the old building.

The transformation was carried out under the design of Marta Badia (Blossom), 4RQ Arquitectura, and the ConstruNext construction team.

Economic Activity Hubs: a strategy for economic diversification

The Economic Activity Hubs are a strategic initiative by the Barcelona City Council, through Barcelona Activa, to diversify the city’s economy, accelerate the growth of strategic sectors, create talent and quality employment, promote entrepreneurship and investment, and stimulate new economic activity.

The creation of these hubs forms part of Barcelona Impulsa, the city’s roadmap for economic diversification up to 2035. Each facility is designed and developed in collaboration with private stakeholders aligned with the sector’s economic goals. This same public-private collaboration model led to the launch of Barcelona XRLAB, focused on creative industries, the first phase of the Care and Ageing Economy Hub (focused on regulated training), and the conceptualization of BUI (Barcelona Urban Innovation), promoted by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).