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UIC Barcelona is launching the Executive Education & Business Challenges Forum, an online event that aims to connect the University's master’s degrees with the world of business.

This four-day forum will be held across 3, 4, 5 and 6 May from 4 to 7 p.m. It will feature guest speakers and professionals from a range of sectors, representatives from leading companies, and entrepreneurs who have set up successful businesses. They will each share their professional experiences through lectures and round table discussions, and reflect on current business issues.

Innovation in business and management, the digitisation of companies due to the outbreak of COVID-19, corporations’ social and cultural impact and the link between cooperation and sustainability as new impact emergencies within the business world, are just some of the many topics that will be discussed during the Executive Education & Business Challenges Forum.

The event is aimed at final-year bachelor’s degree and master’s degree students, and members of the University’s Alumni. The lectures and round table discussions will be introduced by the directors of the University's master's degrees, who will briefly explain the vocational programmes offered at UIC Barcelona.

PROGRAMME

*All sessions will be held in English or with simultaneous English translation.

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Monday 3 May - Investments: Industry, Technology, Real Estate & Enterpreneurship

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4 p.m Welcome talk by the rector of UIC Barcelona, Dr Xavier Gil.

4.10 p.m. Opening speech by Josep Maria Pujol – President of FICOSA - ‘Entrepreneurship today and in the future in our company. A story about life and business’

4.30 to 5.20 p.m.

LECTURE 1 - ‘Optimising investments following COVID-19’(Session held in English)

Moderated by: Dr. Juanjo Marín, lecturer at UIC Barcelona.

Participating speakers and companies:

• Fernando García, head of Private Equity in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at KPMG Espanya.

• David Levy, CEO at DiverInvest Asesoramiento EAFI.

• Daniel Sánchez, founder and partner at Nauta Capital.

• Josep Maria Casas, founder and partner at Neoko Capital.

5.30 to 5.40 p.m. Presentation on the Innovation Hub & Valorisation Projects by Òscar Carbó, director of the Centre of Knowledge Transfer and Research Valorisation at UIC Barcelona. (Session held in English)

5.40 to 6.30 p.m.

LCETURE 2 - ‘Entrepreneurship inside and outside the university sphere’ (Session held in English)

Moderated by: Òscar Carbó, director of the Knowledge Transfer and Research Valorisation Centre at UIC Barcelona.

Participating speakers and companies:

• Jordi Arànega, vice president and board member at Hengrui Corporation and UIC Barcelona Alumni.

• Núria Ramirez, partner at Lexcrea.

• Maria Lluch, founder and chief scientific officer at Pulmobiotics. Lecturer at UIC Barcelona.

7 p.m. Closing talk for the first day of the Executive Education & Business Challenges Forum given by Òscar Carbó, director of the Knowledge Transfer and Research Valorisation Centre at UIC Barcelona.

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Tuesday 4 May - Industrial Production, Logistics & Quality Operations 

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4 p.m. Welcome talk by Dr Felipe Pich-Aguilera (UIC Barcelona School of Architecture)

4.10 to 5 p.m.

LECTURE 1 - ‘The construction industry and its repercussions on value chains’ (Session held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.)

Moderated by: Maria Isabel Gabarró, UIC Barcelona lecturer and Alumni member.

Participating speakers and companies:

• Ferran Figuerola, CEO at Cricursa.

• Fran Pont, managing director at Frapont.

• Felipe Pich-Aguilera, architect (PhD) and founding partner at Picharchitects.

• José Torres, strategic advisor.

5.10 to 6 p.m

LECTURE 2 - ‘Operation and quality: strategies for disruptive businesses’ (Session held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.)

Moderated by: Marta Mas, lecturer at UIC Barcelona.

Participating speakers and companies:

• Miriam Cordero, head of Sales, Strategy & Operations for Southern Europe at Salesforce
   
• Carlos Sancho, product manager at Fluidra. 
   
• Diego Avila, operations manager and chief technical officer at Hipertin.
   
• Sergi Saldaña, operations director at IDNEO.

6.10 to 7 p.m.

LECTURE 3 - ‘Logistics and the new paradigm for sustainable global mobility’ (Session held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.)

Moderated by: Francisco Diéguez, managing director at ITeC (Catalan Institute of Construction Technology) and member of the UIC Barcelona University Advisory Council (CAU)

Participating speakers and companies:

•  Xavier Serra, director of Business Development, Technology and Innovation at Abertis (Autopistas Spain).

• Marta Labata, general manager at BSM. 

• Fernando Gastón, partner and managing director at Improva Consulting.

• José Carlos Pajón, sales director at MRW.

7 p.m. Closing talk of the second day of the Executive Education & Business Challenges Forum, given by Francisco Diéguez, general manager at the ITeC (Catalan Institute of Construction Technology) and member of the UIC Barcelona University Advisory Council (CAU).

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Wednesday 5 May - Biodigital, AI & Advanced Analytics

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4 p.m. Welcome talk by the vice rector for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer, Dr. Jordi Villà.

4.10 to 5 p.m.

LECTURE 1 - ‘Barcelona as a digital HUB. From macro to micro: an overview of online business’ (Session held in English)

Moderated by: Jordi Villà, vice rector for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer at UIC Barcelona.

Participating speakers and companies:

• Professor Mateo Valero, director at Barcelona Supercomputing Center.

• Cristina Ghetti, Head of Workforce360 and nearshore IT hubs Barcelona & Milan at Nestlé.

• Adil Moujahid, technical manager at Everis. 

5.10 to 6 p.m.

LECTURE 2 - ‘The IoT and new guidelines in the field of technology and health. Digital innovation and trends in e-health’ (Session held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.)

Moderated by: José María Martínez and Carlos Cosials, lecturers at UIC Barcelona.

Participating speakers and companies:

• Aline Noizet, chief international officer at Barcelona Health Hub.

• Elena Popova, senior expert data scientist at Novartis.

• Oriol Rius, IoT industry consultant.

6.10 to 7 p.m.

LECTURE 3 - ‘Bioengineering and bioethics applied to research’ (Session held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.)

Moderated by: Dr. Jordi Villà, vice rector for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer at UIC Barcelona

• Román Pérez, director of the Bioengineering Institute of Technology at UIC Barcelona

• Dr Remei Agulles, lecturer at UIC Barcelona and researcher at the Institute for Advanced Family Studies.

7 p.m. Closing talk for the third day of the Executive Education & Business Challenges Forum, given by the UIC Barcelona vice rector for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer, Dr Jordi Villà

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Thursday 6 de May - Social, Sustainable & Cultural Impact

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4 p.m. Welcome talk by Ainhoa Grandes, president of the MACBA Foundation and of the Ship2B Foundation.

4.10 to 5 p.m.

LECTURE 1 - ‘Challenges faced by the cultural sector following the COVID-19 crisis’ (Session held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.)

Moderated by: Marta Crispí, director of the Master's Degree in Arts and Cultural Management at UIC Barcelona

Participating speakers and companies:

• Artur Duart, managing director at MagmaCultura.

• Àlex Galí, general coordinator at Fundació Damm.

• Montserrat Antolí, director of sponsorship, patronage and promotion at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya.

• Josep M. Carreté, director of the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)

5.10 to 6 p.m.

LECTURE 2 - ‘Climate impact emergencies: cooperation, development and prevention’ (Session held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.)

Moderated by: Carmen Mendoza, director of the University Master's Degree in International Cooperation: Sustainable Emergency Architecture at UIC Barcelona

Participating speakers and companies:

• Natàlia Anguera, director of the Catalan Committee at Acnur.

• Núria Gasulla, Researcher at the General Directorate for Catalan Civil Protection for the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

• Mariona González, head of strategic alliances at Intermón Oxfam.

6.10 to 7 p.m.

LECTURE 3 - ‘Urban resilience: making the city of the future a reality today’ (Session held in Spanish with simultaneous English translation.)

Moderated by: Lorenzo Chelleri, director of the Master's Degree in City Resilience Design and Management at UIC Barcelona

Participating speakers and companies:

• Carlos Sotelo, founder and CEO at Silence Urban Ecomobility.
   
• Josep Casas, sales director at Cecot.
   
• Carlos Garriga, director at We Are Water Foundation.
   

7 p.m. Closing talk of the fourth and final day of the Executive Education & Business Challenges Forum, given by the UIC Barcelona Vice Rector for Planning and Quality, Dr. Frederic Marimon.