Large Companies Unite to Address Barcelona’s Challenges
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Leaders from some twenty companies form Board 2030 to carry out collective actions in Barcelona, in an alliance promoted within the framework of Barcelona+B by B Lab Spain, EADA Business School, and Ferrer.
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89% of young participants in this program intend to continue studying next academic year
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The first initiative of this alliance has mobilized the business community to tackle early school leaving, a reality that particularly affects vulnerable young people.
Barcelona, July 1, 2026. Early school leaving remains one of Barcelona’s major social and economic challenges for the future. Its effects extend beyond the educational system: they condition young people’s development opportunities, social cohesion, and Barcelona’s capacity to generate the talent required by the city’s business fabric.
This is the first major challenge that the Board 2030 has set out to address, a community of organizations committed to the transformation of the city, which was presented today at the Fundació Conservatori del Liceu. Driven by B Lab Spain, EADA Business School, and Ferrer, under the umbrella of Barcelona+B, this alliance brings together business leaders and strategic stakeholders in Barcelona to drive solutions to shared problems such as inequality, employability, housing, and sustainability.
The presentation event for this business community was attended by the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, who stated: “We need initiatives like Board 2030 to build the city we want, a city where no one is left behind. This project sends a fundamental message to young people: dare to dream, persevere, and don’t let anyone limit your future. That is why the involvement of the business sector, through alliances like Barcelona+B, is essential to work together towards a shared goal: to have a better society.”
In line with the vision and international standards of the B Corp movement, Board 2030 promotes collaboration and collective action to generate a tangible and measurable impact in the city.
In the words of Mario Rovirosa, CEO of Ferrer: “Business leadership gains meaning when it is put at the service of major social challenges. Board 2030 was created to transform that leadership into collective action, aligning companies, administrations, and social entities with a common goal: to promote a more just, inclusive, and sustainable Barcelona and consolidate it as an international benchmark in the impact economy. ”
The companies and organizations that are part of Board 2030 are: B Lab Spain, CBRE, Consorci Zona Franca, Cushman & Wakefield, Deloitte, EADA, Ferrer, Fundación Ship2B, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, ImpactCO, Medichem, Moritz, Nactiva, Quadpack, R4S, Reig Jofré, TRAM, Uriach, and Volkswagen Group España Distribución, among others.
The first collective action promoted by Board 2030 seeks to reduce the risk of poverty and exclusion in the city of Barcelona and increase opportunities for local talent development, addressing one of the roots of these challenges: early school leaving. As highlighted during the event, presented by journalist Ramón Pellicer, school leaving does not only begin when a student physically leaves the classroom, but when they stop perceiving future possibilities for themselves.
To address this problem, Board 2030 has partnered with Fundación Exit, an entity with more than 25 years of experience dedicated to reducing early school leaving among young people in situations of social vulnerability. During the 2025-2026 academic year, the initiative has supported 272 young people from the Training and Insertion Programs (PFI) in Barcelona and its metropolitan area with the aim of preventing them from abandoning their education.
Professionals from the companies that form Board 2030 have accompanied these young people throughout the academic year with the aim of encouraging them to continue their studies, offering them guidance, explaining the labor market, and describing their companies and departments. Without specific intervention, 40.7% of these young people do not continue studying; however, in the current academic year, and thanks to the program’s support, 89% of the participating students have expressed a desire to continue their education.
As Nacho Sequeira, General Director of Fundación Exit, has pointed out, “too often we talk about educational abandonment when it has already occurred. Our experience shows that when young people find role models, get to know the professional world up close, and feel that someone trusts them, their future expectations increase significantly.” He adds: “Educational abandonment is a multi-causal problem that can only be solved through collaboration between the educational, business, and social sectors.”
Furthermore, 98% of volunteer professionals recommend the experience, consolidating the role of businesses as effective agents of social change. In this academic year, the initiative has mobilized a joint investment of over €510,000 and the talent of 303 corporate volunteers, who have acted as role models and guides for the students.
During the event, which featured testimonies from young people and teachers, it was emphasized that early school leaving is not just a problem of the educational system, but a shared responsibility. In this context, the role of businesses and their capacity to contribute to community well-being was highlighted, understanding that supporting the educational development of Barcelona’s youth simultaneously fosters their future opportunities and the generation of professional talent for the city’s economic fabric.
Pilar Varela, Director of Institutional Relations at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and a member of Board 2030, stated: “Board 2030 is a top-level executive space that transforms strategic reflection into real commitment and collective action, seeking concrete involvement in shared challenges. It activates the role of companies as agents of transformation, connecting their business dimension with social impact and demonstrating that it is possible to address complex challenges in a coordinated manner.”
Beyond early school leaving, Board 2030 is formalized with the aim of promoting new collective actions in areas such as employability, housing, sustainability, and the reduction of inequalities, reinforcing the role of the business sector as a stakeholder involved in Barcelona’s social and economic development.