David Quirós, the new mayor of l’Hospitalet, announced this Friday the constitution of the legal entity that will allow the BioCluster of Innovation and Health project in Bellvitge to “take a leap”. It is an association made up of seven partners: the University of Barcelona, the hospitals of Bellvitge, Sant Joan de Deu, Duran i Reynals of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), the City Councils of Esplugues and l’Hospitalet and the Research Institute Bellvitge Biomedical Institute (IDIBELL). This public-private collaboration formula will have an initial financial contribution from the Hospital City Council. to create “the structure that captures talent and resources to make this benchmark cluster of innovation and health a reality outside of urban planning.”
Quirós made the announcement at the Business Forum of the AEBALL employers’ association of Baix Llobregat and the second city of Catalonia, although he did not want to refer to the controversial set of buildings planned in the urbanization of Gran Vía to the Llobregat river with the construction of more than half a million square meterswhere the municipality of Prat begins and which is part of the BioCluster project, “because we have talked too much about stone and now it is about talking about what is done inside.”
Connection with the Diagonal
In his first act before businessmen as mayor, Quirós also referred to the connection that his City Council plans to make between this new bio-sanitary hub with the future expansion of the Barcelona Clinical Hospital, planned in the Samontà de l’Hospitalet area, in the beginning of Diagonal avenue. An axis that will run through the neighborhoods of Pubilla Casas, La Florida, Torrassa to Bellvitge to unite two poles of economic, health and cultural development located to the north and south of l’Hospitalet that will be structured thanks to the construction of the La Torrassa metropolitan interchangewith which greater fluidity will also be achieved thanks to the coverage of the railway tracks.
The mayor explained that “this project will not only improve connectivity between various strategic areas, but will also open new opportunities for employment and economic growth in Samontà, one of the priority intervention areas for the city government.” The Torrassa metropolitan interchange will connect Diagonal with Granvia, the Zona Franca and the Portcreating an economic corridor that will facilitate the flow of people and goods. “This infrastructure is vital to better integrate the different areas of the city, but also to turn around the entire mobility system in Catalonia,” said the mayor.
Nonconformism
David Quirós has stressed that L’Hospitalet is not satisfied with being the second local economy in Catalonia in GDP (6,903 million euros) and in jobs (104,000): «We want economic opportunities to reach every corner of the city. Therefore, the development of the metropolitan interchange is a crucial step to achieve full economic centrality in metropolitan Barcelona, which benefits both large companies and small local businesses. Furthermore, this project is part of a vision that the mayor highlights of sustainable development. “The improvement of connectivity and the creation of an economic corridor not only seeks economic growth, but also long-term sustainability, aligning with the objectives of carbon neutrality and social cohesion,” is highlighted in a municipal statement.
The mayor has made a commitment to businessmen to improve the maintenance of public spaces around the L’H Economic District and to focus on sectors of activity integrated into the urban fabric such as the Mig highway. And he has announced that “we will accompany companies in the renovation of the warehouses, where there are more than 300 fiber cement covers that must be removed before 2035 and where more than 30 hectares of photovoltaic panels can be installed».
Business claims
From AEBALL, David Quirós has been informed that it is essential to work together on an economic development strategy for the city of L’Hospitalet. The president of the association, Santiago Ballesté, has stated that it is important to be clear about what type of companies and activities you want to attract and promote, as well as the jobs you want to promote, highlighting that the industry is essential for social and economic development. of the territory. «We think that the city should bet on sectors of the future, on industry and technologyand also for other business activities that generate added value and require talent,” stated the president of AEBALL.
According to Ballesté «L’Hospitalet is positioning itself as an ideal city for companies with activities related to health, for business and sports tourism, for cultural companies, for technological projects, and for many other markets, and we must serve companies. current and those that we want to come, providing them with the maximum facilities in terms of administrative procedures.” The representative of the business community has also claimed «have areas of economic activity in perfect conditions that facilitate the mobility that companies needthat offer security, good conditions in terms of public space, cleanliness, paving, etc., good connectivity, and energy efficiency, etc.
Build more than half a million square meters
The president of AEBALL has highlighted the Biocluster project, an initiative that has the potential to place L’Hospitalet on the map of innovation and health research at an international level, which has highly relevant partners and that It is estimated that it will create nearly 50,000 jobs.. The project falls within the scope of the Biopol Granvia Urban Master Plan, which plans to build more than half a million square meters. The president of AEBALL has stated that “our companies must be urgently involved in this project, to create together a true territorial ecosystem that promotes innovative projects related to health.”
AEBALL has taken advantage of the meeting to reiterate to the highest representative of the city council «our firm support for the project to cover the roads and the La Torrassa interchangewhich is crucial for the urban cohesion and connectivity of the city, as well as essential for the efficiency of the commuter service.
Rosa Fiol, vice president and general director of AEBALL, has vindicated the role of companies as the territory’s main asset. Furthermore, he stressed that although – alluding to the mayor’s words – the health and innovation biocluster will improve people’s quality of life, companies also improve the quality of life of citizens by providing employment, while offering society products, services, projects, among others.