Forbes Catalonia Economic Summit
Catalonia 2025, an industrial, technological, and cultural hub
Wednesday, June 11. Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona

Agenda

09:00 am
Welcome Coffee
Arrival of guests and speakers

09:30 am
General Presentation
By Núria Soler

09:35 am
Welcome Address
By Ignacio Quintana, CEO of Forbes

09:40 am
Institutional Opening
By Alicia Romero, Minister of Economy and Finance of the Government of Catalonia

09:50 am
Reindustrialization as an Economic Engine
Continuous innovation as a key factor for Catalonia’s industry: technology, productivity, sustainability, challenges, growth strategies, and major sector developments.

Dialogue: Innovation as the Key to the New Industry
Markus Haupt, Interim CEO of SEAT and CUPRA and Executive Vice President of Production and Logistics at SEAT, in conversation with Carme Poveda, Director of Economic Analysis at the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce

Three-Way Conversation
Blanca Sorigué, General Director of the Barcelona Free Trade Zone Consortium, with Guillem López Casasnovas, Professor of Economics at Pompeu Fabra University
Moderated by Núria Salán Ballesteros, PhD in Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, Professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and Vice President of the Catalan Society of Technology

10:40 am
Cooperative Governance and Strategic Alliances
The value of shared leadership in organizations. Public-private collaboration and strategic international alliances. Barcelona as a base for exports to Europe in the face of increasing trade tensions and tariffs.

Dialogue: The Value of Shared Leadership in Organizations
Carolina Martinoli, Executive Chair and CEO of Vueling, in conversation with Gloria Lomana, President of 50&50 Gender Leadership and Chair of the ForbesWomen Advisory Board

Three-Way Conversation
Ernest Quingles Blasi, Chair of the European Union and EU Programs Commission of Foment del Treball, with Mónica Reig, Associate Director of the ESADE Center for Public Governance
Moderated by Manuel Clavel, Managing Director of Talengo

11:30 am
A Thriving Tertiary Sector
Services as a defining strength of Catalonia’s economy.
Catalonia’s value proposition: its tourism offerings, commerce, culinary and leisure strengths that contribute to the country’s brand.

Keynote Speech: Emma Gumbert, Senior Consul of the Consulate of the Sea and Vice President of PIMEC

Participants:

María Abellanet, President of CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy, University of Barcelona

Cristina Cabañas, President of Guitart Hotels

Josep Graells, President of Vallformosa and Vallformosa Foundation
Moderated by Consol Vancells, General Director of the Catalan Encyclopedia

12:00 pm
NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK

12:20 pm
Round Table: Creative and Humanistic Leaderships. Purposeful and Soulful Organizations for a Complex Society
The social and cultural vision of organizations as a Catalan hallmark. Corporate strategies committed to value creation amidst economic growth. Patronage and historical legacy, social impact stewardship. Major foundations and their outstanding cultural and social work.

Participants:

Isona Passola i Vidal, President of the Ateneu Barcelonès

Georgina Flamme, Director of the Abertis Foundation and Director of Institutional Relations, Communication, and Sustainability at Abertis

Nacho Sequeira, General Director of the Exit Foundation

Toni Aira Foix, Director of the Agbar Chair in Institutional Communication at UPF-BSM
Moderated by Jordi Alberich, Vice President of the Humanities Think Tank of Foment del Treball

12:45 pm
Round Table: Innovation and Sustainability as Values of Progress
Attracting investment and boosting competitiveness.
Catalonia as a benchmark and "engine of innovation and research" in Europe. Consolidating and promoting competitiveness and economic progress through sustainability. Strategic projects and public-private collaboration in innovation.

Participants:

Amaya Echevarría, President of Novartis

Osmar Polo, CEO of T-Systems

Jordi Valls Riera, Deputy Mayor for Economy, Housing, Finance, and Tourism of Barcelona City Council

Juan Antonio Guijarro, General Director of Water Solutions at Veolia Spain
Moderated by Gemma Calvet, Lawyer and Consultant, Curator of the Forbes Catalonia Economic Summit

1:20 pm
Round Table: Catalonia, a Global Tech Brand
Technology as an economic driver and generator of social value. Major global technology projects with international relevance focused in Catalonia.

Participants:

Montse Guardia Güell, Vice President of the Alastria Consortium and President of the Quantum Blockchain Alliance

Mercè Crosas Navarro, Director of the Social Sciences and Humanities Laboratory at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Eduard Martín, Director of 5G Technology at the Mobile World Capital Foundation

Xavier Martínez, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Iberent

Yolanda Pérez, Director of BStartup at Banco Sabadell
Moderated by Meritxell Bautista, President of Manix Capital

1:50 pm
Institutional Closing
By Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona

2:00 pm
Conclusions and Farewell