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Districte 22@ (District 22@), also known as 22@Barcelona or simply 22@, was formed in 2000 as an initiative from the Barcelona Town Hall (Ayuntamiento de Barcelona). The initiative transformed nearly 500 acres of otherwise unused industrial land in Barcelona's Poblenou neighborhood into a new innovation district with modern space and a concentration in high-tech activities. The center of the innovation distrinct is called the Growth Center. This center opened in March 2014 and serves as the base of the brand with houses business incubators and technology offices.
In order to achieve this objective, the model was created for a new, compact city where only the most innovative companies were accepted. These companies could then collaborate with both research and development centers and international universities. The overarching goal of these activities is the transfer of knowledge, technology and equipment, more jobs and the creation of expansive green zones. The district is focused on creating an economy with five sectors: media, technology and communication, energy, design and healthcare, implemented through diverse, strategic projects that facilitate the growth of companies, creativity, networking and the attraction and retention of high-tech talent.
Since 2001 more than 4,500 new companies have opened offices in the Distrito 22#, including Yahoo! I+D, Mediapro, Microsoft, Sanofi-Aventis, Groupalia, Capgemini, Schneider Electric, Vistaprint or Indra, and they have created more than 56,000 new jobs. The district is currently at or near maximum capacity and is actively seeking to expand in order to accommodate new companies.