Barcelona leads a region with a wealth of creative industries, but it is unusual to see companies where creativity or design have been integrated into their corporate structure. Most of them outsource those activities. Many companies see design as an expense instead of an investment, and the impact of creative industries in the general fabric of industry is correspondingly low.

Industries have always been concerned with efficiency, whereas design is concerned with difference. Producing difference in an efficient way is therefore the key to success. The aim of this session is to show the value of normalising the presence of creativity and design in industry, thereby turning all industries into creative ones. Furthermore, the session will also show how valuable the roles of creativity and design are as key factors for the region’s economic recovery, based on sustainability, beauty and diversity, given their humanistic nature.