“The question is not only how we use technology, but how we use it on a large scale to improve public services and citizens’ quality of life,” said the Deputy Mayor during the EMA Forum 2025 roundtable, “Metropolitan Areas as Drivers of Innovation and Digital Transformation”, held within the framework of the World Metropolitan Summit.
During his speech, Valls compared Barcelona to other leading cities such as London or Seattle, which allocate between 4% and 6% of their resources to technological innovation. In this regard, he announced that Barcelona has already increased its investment to 3.5% of the municipal budget, equivalent to 175 million euros per year, mainly devoted to data management and the digitalization of public services.
Three Priority Pillars for a Digital Barcelona
Valls outlined the three main pillars of the city’s technological strategy:
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Cybersecurity, to ensure the protection of citizens’ personal data.
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Smart data management, aimed at optimizing decision-making and urban planning.
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Digital citizen participation, to promote collaboration between citizens and the City Council through innovative platforms.
He also stressed the importance of collaborating with the city’s startup and emerging business ecosystem to drive smart city projects and generate new economic and employment opportunities.
“Barcelona has a strong and creative ecosystem. We must work hand in hand with local talent to diversify our economy and strengthen our European leadership in urban innovation,” said Valls.
A Metropolitan and European Vision
The Deputy Mayor placed this strategy within a broader metropolitan and European framework, highlighting the need to increase technological investment to remain competitive against major global players. According to Valls, the largest American tech companies have a market capitalization equivalent to ten times Spain’s GDP, underscoring the scale of the challenge and the need for a coordinated response from Europe and metropolitan cities.
With this approach, Barcelona reaffirms its commitment to positioning itself as one of Europe’s leading capitals of technological innovation applied to urban management, contributing to a more efficient, sustainable, and participatory city.
As part of the event, a visit was made this week to the Illa Glòries housing development — the largest public housing project in Barcelona — consisting of four buildings with a total of 238 homes, promoted by the Municipal Institute of Housing and Rehabilitation of Barcelona.