PRESENTATIONS
        
        
          6 | 7
        
        
          Internationalization and innovation
        
        
          The shows, events and congresses hosted every
        
        
          day by Fira de Barcelona are the reflection of one
        
        
          of the strengths of Catalan economy, the diversity
        
        
          of the sectors that conform it. Despite the
        
        
          consequences of the economic crisis, Catalonia
        
        
          remains a model in industrial spheres like the agri-
        
        
          food, automotive, chemical, textile and knowledge
        
        
          sectors. We are touristic leaders of the south
        
        
          of Europe and we can be a key element in the
        
        
          logistics activity at a European level.
        
        
          A commitment with internationalization and a
        
        
          culture of innovation, distinguishing traits of Fira,
        
        
          are the challenges that many of our companies
        
        
          have, and the strategic goals that we, as a
        
        
          country, must set in order to open up to the
        
        
          exterior with innovation as the main factor of our
        
        
          competitiveness.
        
        
          In 2013 we have left recession behind, and there
        
        
          are clear symptoms of recovery, yet insufficient to
        
        
          alleviate the consequences of the economic crisis,
        
        
          especially in relation to job creation, which is still
        
        
          the government’s main objective.
        
        
          Fira's essence is gather in
        
        
          a single space both supply
        
        
          and demand, the outreach of new
        
        
          products and leadership on a
        
        
          global scale, a key element in the
        
        
          process of supporting companies,
        
        
          their internationalization and
        
        
          promoting innovation
        
        
          Economic recovery will basically come from the
        
        
          growth of existing companies and the creation of
        
        
          new ones. In the face of a situation of decline of
        
        
          the domestic demand, we need to increase our
        
        
          exportations. But this call cannot be exceptional
        
        
          or circumstantial, a result of the weakness of the
        
        
          domestic demand.
        
        
          A model of wealth creation
        
        
          In order to overcome the crisis, we must commit
        
        
          to an economic model that generates wealth,
        
        
          stable jobs and one that guarantees sustainable
        
        
          development, returning to the industry its role as
        
        
          a catalyst for development, an innovative
        
        
          and internationalized industry. This model needs a
        
        
          tool of support to companies in an economy that
        
        
          is more global every day as Fira de Barcelona.
        
        
          It is a benchmark for internationalization and
        
        
          innovation, for adaptive capacity to a changing
        
        
          environment, one of the foundations of Catalan
        
        
          economy, thanks to the international presence
        
        
          of its shows and congresses, an institution
        
        
          that has consolidated a quality and excellence
        
        
          management model, whose strength lies on
        
        
          its entrepreneurial capacity and its commitment
        
        
          to the economic progress of Catalonia.