Barcelona's BNEW returns to DFactory with 270 speakers and over 100 start-ups

The story so far, in brief; the legwork, and the full article, stay with the original outlet.

Barcelona New Economy Week held its seventh edition from 5 to 7 October at DFactory Barcelona, the industry 4.0 hub in the Zona Franca run by the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB), which organises the event. The programme counted 270 speakers, more than 100 start-ups, 50 sessions and over 50 hands-on activities across eight verticals: AI, Agrofood, Science, Gaming, Aviation & Space, Talent, Health and Energy. The event began during the pandemic, and this year's pitch is that the new economy should be touched rather than merely discussed, which in practice means visitors could sit in the cockpit of an F-18 fighter jet and challenge a machine to noughts and crosses.

The BNEW Startup Innovation Hub picked more than 100 young companies, and an expert committee chose five finalists per vertical to compete for the Best Startup BNEW 2026 award, with five-minute pitches on the morning of 7 October before venture funds and potential customers. Finalists included Timbal and Naios in AI, NoctuRNA Therapeutics in Science, Altium Sequencing in Health and Systellar in Aviation & Space. CZFB director general Blanca Sorigué said entrepreneurial talent needs showcases "but, above all, it needs opportunities".

The CZFB says DFactory spans 17,000 m2 over four floors, and plans call for a new building opposite that would take the site to 60,000 m2. Its Logistics 4.0 Incubator has incubated 79 projects with a 91.3% survival rate and has 44 active start-ups in 2026.