Alejandro Salgado: 'Being located in Barcelona has opened a lot of doors for us'

Why did you choose Barcelona? 

It was a natural choice. When I first came here, both I and my girlfriend (now my wife) discovered that there was a strong cultural affinity between Barcelona and Buenos Aires. What makes Barcelona special is a great local culture with its own tradition and history, enhanced by the cultural diversity of the people who live, study, and work in the city. Cuando vine aquí por primera vez tanto mi novia (ahora mi mujer) como yo encontramos una fuerte afinidad cultural entre Barcelona y Buenos Aires. La diferencia es que en Barcelona hay una gran cultural local con tradición e historia, potenciada por la diversidad cultural de la gente que vive, estudia y trabaja en la ciudad.  

What are the city’s strengths?

Barcelona's cosmopolitan profile makes it a perfect place for entrepreneurship and professional development. Being located in Barcelona has opened a lot of doors for us in international markets, even in countries such as the USA where customers were initially reluctant to work with foreign suppliers. In that respect, the Barcelona "brand" adds considerable value. It should also be said that following the opening of the T1 terminal the city now receives a large number of direct international flights. And let’s not forget the simply amazing range of cultural, leisure and restaurant opportunities that Barcelona offers. También hay que mencionar que, tras la inauguración de la T1 del aeropuerto, la ciudad ha mejorado muchísimo en cuanto a vuelos internacionales directos. Y no olvidemos la oferta cultural, de ocio y de restauración que tiene Barcelona: es simplemente espectacular. 

Which aspects of the city would you like to improve? How?

We have noticed that the city has become much more insecure in recent years, especially in the last few months because of the Covid-19 crisis. I think that better communication and collaboration between the various security agencies would help. And I think it is important to continue supporting entrepreneurship. Despite bodies such as Barcelona Activa, it would be great if the city offered more incentives and aid to entrepreneurs. Lastly, I think that tourism has been demonized in recent years and this is damaging the hospitality sector, which is one of the city's economic engines.mo la ciudad se ha vuelto bastante más insegura en los últimos años y especialmente en los últimos meses a raíz de la crisis de la Covid-19. Creo que una mejor comunicación y colaboración entre las distintas fuerzas de seguridad mejoraría esta situación. Por otro lado, creo que es importante seguir apoyando la iniciativa emprendedora. A pesar de que hay iniciativas como Barcelona Activa, sería bueno que la ciudad ofreciera más incentivos y ayudas a emprendedores. Finalmente creo que se ha demonizado un poco en los últimos años al turismo y esto ha penalizado al sector de la restauración que es uno de los motores económicos de la ciudad. 

What are the strengths that will help the city overcome the COVID-19 crisis?

To overcome the crisis, initiatives such as ACCIÓ's Covid-19 Business Marketplace, which we are part of, are essential for promoting both supply and demand for local projects. Given the size of the city, it is also important to encourage the use of bicycles and scooters.tales para superar esta crisis. Otra cosa importante que creo que hay que fomentar, por el tamaño que tiene la ciudad, es el uso de la bicicleta o el patinete.   

¿What do you think of Barcelona’s plans for the summer??

I note that the city is quickly adapting to the new post Covid-19 scenario and there are interesting cultural events on offer such as the Monumental Club at the Monumental arena and Soundit for those of us who like electronic music.stá adaptando rápidamente a la nueva normalidad post Covid-19 y ya empieza a haber una oferta cultural interesante como lo que está pasando en La Monumental con el Monumental Club o el Soundit para los que nos gusta la música electrónica. 

What do you expect from Barcelona in the coming years?

I hope that the city will continue to do its best to encourage industry and the local economy and I hope to see Barcelona become more united, perhaps by putting aside differences for the time being and trying to pull together. 

Which city do you consider to be your city? What do you miss most?

Having lived practically all my adult life outside my hometown, Barcelona is my city of choice... although my Buenos Aires roots are still well-intact.