Rustam Minnikhanov visits 22@ innovation district in Barcelona

On July 19 Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov visited 22@ innovation district in Barcelona.

The innovation district is situated in formerly industrial area Poblenou in the district of Sant Marti. The 22@ aims to convert Poblenou into the city’s technological and innovation district, as well as to increase leisure and residential spaces. It is still under construction.

Former Barcelona Architect Josep Acebillo made a short presentation of the 22@ project.

4.5 thousand new companies have moved to the innovation district since 2001. Almost half of the companies are new start ups. The rest have moved from other locations of Barcelona. One third of the total number of companies is knowledge-intensive companies.

There are ten University centers in the 22@ district. The estimated number of workers in the district is 90 thousand (excluding freelance workers). At the end, the project will create 4 million square meters of constructed floor space, most part of which will be used for production activities, the rest for housing and services.

The 22@Barcelona model is already being applied in other areas of Barcelona and is a benchmark in urban, economic and social transformation in cities like Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Istanbul and Cape Town.

Later on the same day Rustam Minnikhanov visited Centre Convencions Internacional Barselona – CCIB, Media Center of Barcelona and a number of other objects situated in the 22@ district.