• The agreement allows the world’s third-largest spirits company to drive its innovation projects in collaboration with the city’s technology and digital ecosystem.

• Founded in 1862 by an original Catalan from Sitges, the family business with presence in more than 170 countries reinforces its commitment to Barcelona, where it has its headquarters for Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Greece.

Bacardi is a family company with a long tradition, founded in 1862 in Santiago de Cuba by Facundo Bacardi, a Catalan native from Sitges, which has been able to adopt innovative technological solutions to position itself as a benchmark in the spirits market; with more than 8,000 employees, it has production facilities in 10 countries and sells its more than 200 brands in more than 170 countries.

For Jesús Checa, Strategy & Disruptive Innovation Director at Bacardi, “Bacardi has adopted a corporate strategy for the coming years in which innovation plays a fundamental role, and where being connected to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in different territories is crucial. The city of Barcelona and Tech Barcelona provide us with a unique platform to carry out strategic innovation projects, in collaboration with different startups, universities, suppliers and customers, so that together we can transform the future of Bacardi in the coming years”.

“Bacardi’s commitment to innovation, as well as its experience and global prestige, make it a key player in the process of technological transformation of the restaurant and leisure sector in Barcelona,” says Miquel Martí, CEO of Tech Barcelona. He adds that “this union reaffirms Tech Barcelona’s role as a central point in the city’s technological and digital ecosystem, demonstrating Barcelona’s capacity to attract international projects and talent”.

Tech Barcelona currently represents more than 1,200 companies and has more than 80 leading organisations committed to technology. Through its programme of content and activities, the association fosters connections between companies to create cross-innovation and accelerate the dynamics that reinforce Barcelona’s position as a technology and digital hub of international reference.