The new hub for creative industries will have 1,755 square metres of floor space and include flexible modules to house start-ups, accessible experimental labs for the creative fabric to create new products and services using the most advanced audio-visual technology, and exhibition spaces to help creative talent get closer to the market.

The budget for the project is 5.5 million euros, which will be used to recondition the outside and the inside of Unit E, a listed heritage building, preserving original architectural features and the greenery which completely covers the façade.

Work started in June and will take a year, with the new centre expected to become operative in June 2023.  

Palo Alto Creative Industries Lab is aiming to involve major stakeholders in the audio-visual sector in Barcelona, with various partners, including singular companies, groups and clusters, along with organisations and institutions with experience in acceleration programmes for the creative industries and the creation of start-ups.  During the process to transform the unit, Barcelona Activa will be calling for companies which could manage the audio-visual hub.

Over 8,100 companies in the city

The new lab will incentivise public-private collaboration to enable further growth in a sector which already has over 8,100 companies (11.8% of the total), providing work for 143,461 people in Barcelona’s workforce (13.7% of the total). These figures highlight how the creative industries are a key sector for the present and future in Barcelona, positioning the city as an international leader and the ninth city in Europe in terms of creative intensity.