Barcelona business leaders are pressing for faster infrastructure upgrades, simpler rules and stronger support for artificial intelligence, with the focus on firms in Baix Llobregat and L'Hospitalet. Josep Santacreu, president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, made the comments on Friday at a business breakfast in L'Hospitalet, organised by the Fórum Empresarial del Llobregat.
Santacreu said Barcelona-El Prat Airport needs to expand, warning that the airport is already operating at 97% capacity in July. He said Barcelona risks losing new long-haul routes without more room, and cited an Australian company interested in a direct link from Barcelona to Oceania. He also said the public sector must provide stability, a proper framework and the infrastructure works needed to support growth.
He said the Chamber's historic Llotja de Mar headquarters will open to public visits from Friday, with access throughout August. Santacreu said the aim is to bring the institution closer to the public, and noted that visitors will be able to enter rooms where Gaudí and Picasso studied, as well as the space where Catalonia's first public bank was conceived.
Santacreu was critical of Catalonia's long-running infrastructure deficit, saying it affects Baix Llobregat, where key economic hubs are concentrated, including the port, the airport, Zona Franca, Fira de Barcelona and major road and rail corridors. He pointed to Rodalies incidents, access to the Port of Barcelona, AP-7 capacity, freight rail corridors and intermodal terminals as unresolved issues. He also called for better links between the airport and the AVE network, plus metro extensions.
The discussion also focused on bureaucracy and AI. Santacreu said reducing bureaucracy would be the first public policy change he would make, and Santiago Ballesté, president of AEBALL and the Fórum Empresarial del Llobregat, backed the call for simpler procedures. Santacreu also said companies that do not commit to artificial intelligence in the coming months will probably not survive the next 10 years, and said firms need practical support to apply AI across production, sales and management. For more local business coverage, see our Community page.
Ballesté said the territory is strategically important for Catalonia, with industry, logistics, advanced services, health, metalworking, mobility, technology, construction, chemicals, commerce, agri-food, aerospace and exhibition activity. Rosa Fiol, director general and vice president of AEBALL, said the Llobregat area contributes 13% of Catalonia's GDP. Ballesté also said businesses need more qualified technical, industrial, digital and management staff, and called for stronger links between business, vocational training, universities and the administration.
Santacreu said the Barcelona Chamber's forecasts point to 2.2% growth, two tenths below the original estimate but still above other regional economies. He warned of risks from inflation, international uncertainty and the Middle East conflict, which could affect energy prices. He also said the Chamber will expand its territorial offices beyond Maresme next year, including into Baix Llobregat and L'Hospitalet, so SMEs can get support without travelling to the Diagonal headquarters. The Chamber's plenary session on 16 July will appoint Carles Guilera's replacement, after more than 23 years leading the Baix Llobregat Chamber.
