With a thriving metropolitan population of approximately 5.7 million residents, Barcelona is a city in constant evolution, advancing at a steady and deliberate pace. Its unique blend of rich cultural heritage, stunning architecture, and vibrant atmosphere has earned it a spot as the 8th most attractive city in the world for visitors and entrepreneurs, according to Resonance’s ’2025 World’s Best Cities Report.’ 

Barcelona’s development has been shaped and driven by early visionaries like Antonio Gaudí, Ildefons Cerdà and Joan Miró, who reimagined its identity and liveability. Today, this legacy is being carried forward by innovative startups offering sustainable solutions that are redefining urban life in the 21st century. With approximately 2,300 startups, Catalonia has established itself as one of the leading startup hubs in Southern Europe. This reputation is strengthened not only by the numerous industry and innovation-driven conferences held in the city but also by its access to dynamic and expansive markets such as the European Union (offering entry access to 510 million people).

New pioneers in sustainable innovation

In 2023, 41.4% of Catalan companies invested in the green transformation, an increase of 2.6% compared to 2022. This trend is a positive sign for the city of Barcelona’s commitment to sustainability. Part of this trend is a new generation of pioneers actively shaping the future of Barcelona through innovative solutions in various areas, including recycling, sustainable mobility, eco-friendly construction, solar energy, and clean water initiatives, among others. 

Below we explore the insights of five entrepreneurs whose innovative ideas are actively contributing to the transformation of Barcelona. So, what does this transformation look like on the ground?

Sustainable mobility 

A city’s mobility defines its pulse. Silvia Casorran, a Sustainable Mobility and Urban Transformation Advisor, supports the 1998 Mobility Agreement, bringing stakeholders together to shape Barcelona’s transportation model through dialogue and consensus. It focuses on defining measures to enhance mobility and road safety across the city.

As part of this effort, Silvia’s vision for the city prioritises fewer cars on the roads and more space for alternative mobility forms like cycling. She advocates for electric and shared cars, reducing pollution and promoting a more sustainable transport network. With advancements in technology, stricter speed controls are now more feasible than ever. One of her key suggestions is to implement geo-fencing to ensure public spaces remain safe and accessible, particularly for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children.

Beyond reducing car presence, Silvia emphasises the need for wider bike lanes to accommodate the rise in cyclists, e-scooter users, and other alternative modes of transportation. As more residents embrace cycling, the need for dedicated space grows. Barcelona’s residents enjoy leisure time outdoors, increasing the demand for safe, accessible public spaces. Silvia believes the city can achieve a more effective, people-centric urban design by implementing previously mentioned measures alongside ’Superblocks’, a grid of city blocks with limited car access, making the area a more people-friendly environment.

Eco-friendly construction

The transformation of Barcelona’s mobility landscape is being matched by a parallel shift in its architectural landscape. Karina Gomez Garcia, Chief Science Officer at NIDO, is at the forefront of this change.

Nido is revolutionising the construction industry, which is typically conservative, with dynamic and autonomous biomaterials that are categorised as metamaterials. Their idea is to generate living ecosystems within homes that can self-sustain and create constant co-benefits as one would typically find in nature. One of their innovations is the ’NIDO Hydrogel’, a patented gel made of algae, enzymes, and mineral salts. This unique gel can absorb and release heat based on the temperature changes in the house. Thus, this nature-based solution creates a stable temperature and reduces the energy consumption of active air conditioning systems, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving money for users. 

From Karina’s point of view, an ideal city of the future must embody two concepts: efficiency and sufficiency. Public services should be designed or adapted to address climate change while ensuring a just transition for all citizens.

Solar Energy

Another key aspect of sustainable energy consumption is solar power. Wouter Draijer, CEO and co-founder of Solarmente, firmly believes it plays a vital role in Spain’s energy transition. The company offers a subscription-based model for solar panels, making it easier for households to adopt sustainable energy—similar to how television service providers offer subscription plans. Beyond powering homes, Solarmente also enables electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy storage, ensuring unused energy can be saved for later use.

For Wouter, the vision extends beyond individual households. His ideal city of the future is one that achieves net zero, meaning it can generate enough energy, water, and electricity to sustain itself—day and night, across all seasons. 

While solar energy is excellent for meeting daytime needs, charging EVs at night presents a challenge that Wouter is interested in addressing. Currently, solar power has only 10% market penetration, but he sees significant growth potential. As a renewable and abundant energy source, the sun presents a long-term, sustainable solution to our energy needs.

Clean water

Energy is just one piece of the sustainability puzzle. Another key challenge cities face is ensuring access to clean, safe water. Alexander Provins, General Manager at Tappwater, explains how they are tackling two major problems at once: providing clean drinking water while also reducing single-use plastic waste, a less obvious but equally pressing concern.

To address this, Tappwater has developed different kinds of easy non-installation water filtration solutions powered by their five-step nano-infiltration technology. Their system removes over 100 substances, including heavy metals, microplastics, PFAS, and other harmful substances—all while improving the taste of drinking water.

Clean water is fundamental to human health, with the average person consuming about two litres per day. However, beyond health, plastic waste from bottled water is a major urban challenge. A single household, on average, brings home 1,000 kg of bottled water per year, highlighting the urgent need for waste reduction and sustainable alternatives like Tappwater’s solutions.

Recycling and circular economy

As the example of bottled water waste illustrates, the convenience of modern life often comes with a significant environmental cost, highlighting the need for innovative solutions in waste reduction and recycling. Xavier Pinosa, CEO of Karibou, isn’t looking to disrupt the food packaging industry but rather to drive an eco-friendly transformation. 

While plastic has long been effective for protection, it also poses major environmental challenges. Karibou turned to cellulose, a natural waste product from trees and plants, as a sustainable alternative. Though it lacks the strength of traditional plastics, the company has enhanced its usability for packaging. While this may seem like the perfect solution for the packaging industry, it is important to remember that scaling innovations such as lab-based cellulose modifications require financial backing.

Plant-based packaging stands out for its circular nature and even though home composting is an option, Xavier notes that recycling it as paper better aligns with a circular economy. 

Sustainability isn’t a destination but a continuous journey. With this in mind, Karibou envisions expanding beyond 15 countries, leveraging new waste streams and technologies to create a more sustainable future.

Barcelona’s green outlook 

All the entrepreneurs mentioned share a common belief—Barcelona is an ideal launchpad for startups driving the sustainable revolution. While challenges like funding and bureaucracy exist, the city’s vibrant ecosystem, talent pool, and collaborative spirit make it a prime hub for innovation.

This momentum isn’t limited to startups. In recent years, global firms have increasingly chosen Catalonia as their digital hub in Europe. In 2021 alone, over 50% of the region’s technological projects were dedicated to new digital innovation hubs. With a growing community of visionaries and a commitment to sustainability, Barcelona is not just adapting to the future—it’s actively shaping it.