David Quirós, the new mayor of l’Hospitalet, announced this Friday the constitution of the legal entity which will allow the Bellvitge BioCluster Innovation and Health project to “take a big step”. 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 Town Halls of Esplugues and de l’Hospitalet and the Bellvitge Biomedical Institute (IDIBELL) research institute. This public-private collaboration formula will benefit from an initial financial contribution from the Hospital Town Hall. create “the structure that captures talents and resources to make this reference center for innovation and health a reality outside of urban planning”.
Quirós made this announcement during 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 Gran Vía urbanization on the banks of 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 mentioned the link that his City Council plans to establish between this new biosanitary center and the future extension of the Barcelona Clinical Hospital, planned in the area of Samontà de l’Hospitalet, at the start of Diagonal Avenue. An axis which will cross the districts of Pubilla Casas, La Florida, Torrassa up to Bellvitge to unite two centers of economic, health and cultural development located to the north and south of Hospitalet which 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 the different strategic areas, but will also open new opportunities for employment and economic growth in Samontà, one of the priority intervention areas of the municipality.” The Torrassa metropolitan interchange will connect Diagonal to Granvia, Zona Franca and the Portcreating an economic corridor that will facilitate the movement of people and goods. “This infrastructure is vital to better integrate the different districts of the city, but also to straighten out the entire mobility system in Catalonia,” said the mayor.
Non-conformism
David Quirós highlighted that L’Hospitalet is not content with being the second local economy in Catalonia in terms of GDP (6,903 million euros) and jobs (104,000): “We want economic opportunities to reach every corner of the city. The development of the metropolitan interchange therefore constitutes a crucial step towards achieving full economic centrality in the Barcelona metropolis, which benefits both large companies and small local businesses. In addition, this project is part of a vision that the mayor is putting forward in terms of sustainable development. “Improving connectivity and creating an economic corridor aims not only for economic growth, but also for long-term sustainability, by aligning with the objectives of carbon neutrality and social cohesion,” underlines a municipal press release. .
The mayor committed 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 motorway. And he announced that “we will support companies in the renovation of 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“.
Commercial complaints
From AEBALL, David Quirós was 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, said that it is important to be clear about the type of companies and activities we want to attract and promote, as well as the jobs we want promote, emphasizing that the industry is essential for social development. and the economic development of the territory. “We believe that the city must focus on the sectors of the future, on industry and technologybut also for other commercial activities that generate added value and require talent,” declared the president of AEBALL.
According to Ballesté “L’Hospitalet is positioned 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 current and active businesses. those we wish to come, by offering them the maximum facilities in terms of administrative procedures.” The representative of the business world also affirmed “have areas of economic activity in perfect conditions that facilitate the mobility that businesses needwhich provide security, good conditions in terms of public space, cleanliness, flooring, etc., good connectivity and energy efficiency, etc.
Build more than half a million square meters
The president of AEBALL highlighted the Biocluster project, an initiative which has the potential to place L’Hospitalet on the map of innovation and health research at the international level, which has very relevant partners and which It is estimated that this will create almost 50,000 jobs.. The project is part of the Biopol Granvia Urban Master Plan, which provides for the construction of more than half a million square meters. The president of AEBALL declared that “our companies must be urgently involved in this project, to create together a real territorial ecosystem that promotes innovative projects linked to health”.
AEBALL took advantage of the meeting to reiterate to the highest representative of the municipal council “our strong support for the project to cover the roads and the La Torrassa interchangewhich is crucial for urban cohesion and city connectivity, as well as the efficiency of commuter service.
Rosa Fiol, vice-president and general director of AEBALL, claimed the role of businesses as the main asset of the territory. Furthermore, he emphasized that although – alluding to the mayor’s words – the health and innovation biocluster will improve the quality of life of people, businesses also improve the quality of life of citizens by creating jobs, offering to the company of products, services and projects, among others.
