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As well as living with it for months, we’re also going to experience it first-hand at the BNEW: how the coronavirus pandemic has transformed our habits, our relationships and, of course, our way of working too. Trends that we could sense coming, ones that we were beginning to adopt – and that the ‘early adopters’ are now taking advantage of – are now accelerating: all of the sudden a digitized economy has come to stay, based on knowledge, technology and sustainability.

Companies are changing, their challenges and projects too; and with them the public support they receive must also change too. At ACCIÓ we are quite sure. Catalan companies get the help and support they need. Just as we have been doing up to now, but also different from how it has always been done.

In ACCIÓ, Catalan companies find an open door to the world, with 40 Foreign Offices covering more than 100 markets. Knowledge and experience on the ground that has accompanied, and will continue to do so, the internationalization of thousands of SMEs and startups.

Furthermore, doing so by boosting innovation and R&D is also vital. Accompanying companies in the diagnosis, evaluation and implementation of new technologies, resources and processes. From the adaptation to industry 4.0 to the advantages of the circular economy; being committed to the development of disruptive innovation and connecting Catalan startups with the most ground-breaking ecosystems.

At the same time, ACCIÓ also continues with its ongoing task of attracting foreign investment, thanks to which now 8,900 subsidiaries are located in Catalonia, almost 1,400 in technology sectors. Adding great value to our ecosystem, they generate new jobs and bolster local SMEs that, in turn, are a great asset for attracting investment due to their wide diversity in a multitude of value chains.

With all these pillars, now it's time to delve into the challenges of the moment, today it's time to build the company of tomorrow. And to do so, an essential idea is to focus on strategy, the way to identify winning business models, transform assets and guide them towards new opportunities. Strategy is what guides towards how we want to be and how we can grow in this new economy.

We have to accept that the change will be permanent and that the "new normal" is instability. Unforeseen events with great impact on the economy, such as Covid-19 or Brexit, will be more common.

And it's not a question of business size. We will also find 'David and Goliath' cases where new players can easily unseat the hitherto dominant ones.

But, as in any threat, there are also opportunities. Thus, we must question everything and seek organizationally the balance between today and tomorrow. The ability to respond to changes in the environment will be the key to success.

Our marketplace to connect productive capacity amongst companies during the lockdown period or the new ‘Export Covid-19 solutions’ service are both clear examples of this capacity to strategically adapt to the context.

From an ACCIÓ perspective this new reality implies transforming services and the organization itself to continue being useful to companies in a changing world. Companies must transform and ACCIÓ also does it with them to continue helping them to be competitive.

The latest steps undertaken are in line with this approach:

• Catalonia Exponential to connect with disruptive innovation
• ProACCIÓ 4.0 to implement Industry 4.0 among SMEs
• Barcelona & Catalonia Startup Hub, the showcase to the world of Catalan startups
• Technical Office of Barriers to Internationalization to overcome any obstacle in a global world

We are constantly transforming to help companies do the same in a complex and changing environment. Would you like to have us at your side?