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Why Barcelona?

Barcelona is in so many ways an obvious destination for an international non-profit organization. It is possible to attract great staff not only from the large, multi-lingual local talent pool but internationally because people want to live here. Costs are low, the environment predictable and the city has an open and international atmosphere. An uncrowded airport less than half an hour from the city center with direct global connections makes it perfect for travel. Few European cities have the same mix of cost, convenience and amazing quality of life, something that is increasingly important when you are recruiting.

For the Higher Education Alliance for Refugees, there were additional reasons. Barcelona has been welcoming to refugees. Tens of thousands of people came out on to the streets to call on the Spanish government to admit more refugees. People here feel a personal connection given their own history. There is a sense of compassion out there. It is a diverse and open environment with few of the tensions we are seeing emerging elsewhere in Europe. That open and international outlook was particularly important to us. Barcelona is also an increasingly important international education hub with some of the best universities and research centers in Europe.

The BCN Action Plan was hugely important in the decision to establish in Barcelona. It opened the door to the city and provincial governments and helped provide all the information we needed. Having an immediate set of links to businesses, universities and different levels of government was very useful and knowing that there was this alliance supporting you very encouraging. This sort of private and public sector engagement with social organizations is very innovative and encouraging and it reflect the dynamism you find in Barcelona.

International non-profits and think tanks rely on connections and there are few places where it is easier to make connections than in Barcelona. The city is international, outward looking, cosmopolitan and superb at breaking down barriers. There are few places where government, business and the social sectors work together more effectively and you can see that in the superb management of the city. Few cities work as well as Barcelona. No other city has the combination of efficiency, low costs and amazing quality of life.

Barcelona is an attractive city for many reasons. It has a great quality of life, it is very well connected internationally, has a vibrant international community and plenty of talent. These qualities make it easy to attract even more talent. And it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with an active cultural. It’s easy to fall in love with Barcelona.

Barcelona is actively addressing the challenges of climate change and sustainable development. Already a leader in smart cities and
innovation, Barcelona is experimenting with mobility and urban layouts, water and waste management, electricity and inclusive policies. Barcelona has the potential to become a living lab for sustainable urban infrastructure. More than 70% of global greenhouse gases come from cities, yet urban infrastructure projects face investment risks, and there is a need for institutional capacity to overcome investment barriers and unlock projects. As a compact city with an extremely high population density, Barcelona is comparable to many cities in Asia and around the world, sharing with them many of the challenges that CLIP is tackling. In other words, Barcelona is in line with our mission and vision.

The Barcelona Action Plan was fundamental in the decision to establish CLIP in Barcelona. The plan provides us with the necessary enabling conditions to turn our vision into a reality. The engagement of the private and public sector through the Action Plan is crucial. The plan and CLIP are great examples of creativity and innovation that Barcelona can share with the world.