Leadership briefs

The Barcelona Free Zone has become the first in the world to be certified by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This distinction is the result of close coordination and collaboration between the OECD team, the auditors from the certifying companies, and professionals from the Barcelona Customs Free Zone.

For several months, the Barcelona Free Zone opened its doors to serve as the pilot programme for this certification, which aims to establish global security and transparency standards for international trade across all free zones worldwide. With this recognition, the CZFB demonstrates the transformative potential of free zones as hubs for investment, talent development, and economic growth – not only for their own region but also on a global scale.

The OECD promotes collective action to build a community of free zones based on fair, transparent trade, grounded in best practices and good governance. This strengthens global efforts and helps protect the integrity of the world economy.

The certificate was officially presented in March during the first Forum on Combating Illicit Trade, held at the OECD headquarters in Paris. The event included representatives from the OECD, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and the Association of Certifying Companies (TIC Council).

The Africa Sustainable Investment Summit 2025, held in Luanda (Angola) in November, featured the participation of the CZFB. The Special Delegate of the State, Pere Navarro, and the CEO, Blanca Sorigué, held institutional meetings with key leaders including Manuel Francisco Pedro, President of the Luanda-Bengo Special Economic Zone, and Augusta Frederico Fortes, Secretary of State for Trade and Services of Angola. During these meetings, they presented the collaboration opportunities offered by the CZFB, reinforcing its commitment to internationalisation, innovation, and sustainable development.

At the end of October, the CZFB presented its strategy to lead Industry 4.0 to an audience of 30 international consuls. The meeting served to strengthen bilateral relations, attract foreign direct investment, and generate international synergies. The initiative reinforces Barcelona’s position as a global hub for innovation, digitalisation, and sustainable industrial development.

The CZFB participated in the Congress of the Colombian Federation of International Trade Logistics Agents (FITAC 2025), held in early December in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia). FITAC is one of the most important congresses in Latin America and serves as a key meeting point for leading players institutions, and senior executives in the logistics and foreign trade sectors.

Pere Navarro, Special Delegate of the State at the CZFB, and Blanca Sorigué, CEO, visited the SIL Barcelona stand, where the 28th edition of the fair was promoted. The event will take place in June 2026 with the aim of reinforcing its international role as a business bridge in the logistics sector between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, while attracting greater participation from Latin American companies.

Both also participated as speakers at the congress. Pere Navarro delivered a keynote on “Barcelona’s Vision: Building the New Digital Ecosystem for International Trade,” while Blanca Sorigué took part in the panel “Building Competitive Advantage Through Diversity and Innovation.”

In 2025, the CZFB reaffirmed its role as a leading force in driving the new economy, innovation, and sustainability, with the goal of leading the evolution of the industrial and logistics sectors. In this context, the Special Delegate of the State at the CZFB, Pere Navarro, maintained an intense schedule of participation in forums and strategic meetings, helping to position the Consorci’s activities in key spaces for economic, business, and technological debate. One of his standout appearances was at Barcelona Tribuna, a forum that brings together prominent figures from the economic, social, cultural, and scientific worlds. There, he presented Distrito 4.0, a flagship CZFB initiative aimed at accelerating the digital transformation of Industry.

Pere Navarro also took part in events organised by major media outlets, including the session “Keys to Strengthening the Business Landscape” at the Gran Encuentro Expansión Catalunya; the Creo 2025 Forum, organised by Cinco Días and Prisa Media, which focused on the future of free zones; the conference “European Funds V: Toward Strategic Autonomy,” organised by elDiario.es; and the V Business Forum: The Business Resurgence of Catalonia, organised by elEconomista.es.

On the international front, Pere Navarro represented the CZFB at the VIII Ibero-American Congress of CEAPI; at the Forbes AI Forward Summit 2025, where discussions centred on Catalonia as a tech hub in southern Europe; and at the conference “Motors of the Catalan Economy,” organised by the Institut d’Economia de Barcelona and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, which explored future projects and the relationships among various platforms supporting the growth of the Catalan economy.

In October, CZFB CEO Blanca Sorigué attended the 11th edition of the World Free Zones Organization congress, organised by the World Free Zones Organization (WFZO). During the congress, the WFZO General Assembly took place, renewing its governing body and re-electing her as Vice President of the World Free Zones Organization – a position she has held since May 2023. The congress highlighted how free zones can expand opportunities, strengthen economic connectivity, and foster a new era of global cooperation.

Sorigué also participated in two dedicated sessions: one focused on giving visibility to women leading the free zones sector (alongside the directors of Port Klang Free Zone in Malaysia and JSEZA in Jamaica), and another on collaborative leadership. Among her other 2025 appearances was the “Business Growth and Quality Jobs” series, organised by the employers’ association Foment del Treball.

In addition, Sorigué received several recognitions during 2025: for the third consecutive year, Forbes magazine included her in its ranking of the 100 most influential women in Spain; El Periódico named her among the 50 most highly regarded Catalan executives; and Yo Dona magazine listed her as one of Spain’s 100 most powerful women.

It also serves as a pilot window for opening China’s financial services sector to the outside world, a key base for global services trade, and an international hub port.

In February 2025, the CZFB, together with AMEC, organised the first edition of the ZF Innovative Ecosystem Day to share innovation initiatives developed within its area of activity and to foster synergies among companies and entities in the Barcelona Free Zone that are leading the industrial transformation
tied to the new economy.

The day began with a programme focused on active networking among the various ecosystem players. A roundtable session presented success stories based on the application of 4.0 technologies. Another key segment was a session on ecosystems driving Industry 4.0, moderated by CZFB CEO Blanca Sorigué, featuring models from Mercabarna, the Port of Barcelona, and Barcelona Health Hub.

The event also included an innovation workshop held at DFactory Barcelona, where participants tackled
industry challenges and worked in groups on solutions across four verticals: Logistics 4.0, industrial technology, sustainability, and new professional profiles. This encouraged collaboration and the creation of new opportunities.

In 2025, the CZFB was awarded the FEmImpacte Prize in the category recognising the impact of a public-private collaboration project. The award is promoted by the Associació Empresarial de L’Hospitalet i Baix Llobregat (AEBALL). This recognition honoured the Distrito 4.0 project, led by the CZFB, which – thanks in particular to DFactory Barcelona– has generated significant added value for the socioeconomic development of the territory through strategic alliances, innovative cooperation models, and high-impact joint actions.

In the same category, finalists included Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport and Prologis España, a leading provider in the Spanish logistics real estate sector. The FEmImpacte 2025 Awards also recognised companies and entities for their greatest impact in other areas: economic (SEAT), social (Es Imp-Perfect Food), cultural (Colegio Xaloc), and sustainability (Schneider Electric), as well as the impact of a public entity in relation to businesses (Viladecans City Council).